


You Should Know Better

by Swinging_With_Negan



Category: Joe Merriweather - Fandom, Solace (2015)
Genre: Age Difference, Angst and Feels, Angst and Fluff and Smut, Cop Drama, Cop Fetish, Drama, Eventual Smut, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Humor, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Fluff and Smut, Good Cop Bad Cop, Humor, JDM, JDM characters, Jeffrey Dean Morgan - Freeform, Jeffrey Dean Morgan Characters, Morning Sex, Negan - Freeform, Penis In Vagina Sex, Professor - Freeform, Public Sex, Romance, Sex in a Car, Shameless Smut, Smut, Vaginal Sex, age gap, cop, marriage issues, possible threesome later down the line, professor/student, relationship, sex in office, sex in the back of a truck bed, smutty content, solace
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-05-28
Updated: 2018-08-11
Packaged: 2018-11-06 02:06:43
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 23
Words: 78,235
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11026344
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Swinging_With_Negan/pseuds/Swinging_With_Negan
Summary: Summary of the whole story: Believing to be a single and divorced man, Joe lands himself in a relationship, mainly sexual in nature, with one of his familiar faced students. As a result, not only does he secretly participate in the relationship on campus, but he gets a bit unprofessional while on duty as a L.E.O. Usually, the whole motto of ‘protect and serve’, especially the ‘serve’ part, is, and should be, taken in an innocent fashion, but in the bed of his patrol truck, Officer Merriweather simply couldn’t help but make things a bit not-so-innocent. Finally, after some time, the realization that he is not a single man begins to take hold after the return of his wife..Give me that validation and leave me some much-needed feedback and comments.You can also find meHEREon TumblrYou can also find the masterlist to this storyHEREon Tumblr.





	1. Chapter 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Staying after class to ask her professor a question, Natalie realizes that Joe is no longer wearing his wedding band.

* * *

 

 **POV:** Natalie  
**Characters:** Natalie,  _Joe Merriweather (Indented)_  
**Quote: _“_** _You should know better than to lie to someone such as myself who has extensive experience in reading people.”_

* * *

 

****

* * *

 

 

 

_“So, remember guys, there are people who are going to hate you for what you do, but do not take it personally. It’s simply the uniform that you wear and it’s nothing against you as a person. Some people simply don’t like the uniform and can’t get past that.” There was a moment of silence as Joe leaned up against the podium and simply smiled. “Trust me, guys…” A small line of scoffs escaped his mouth as he shook his head and glanced down at his hands. “It’s a fine profession, but shit like that happens, it’s inevitable.”_

Covered by a line of computers, Natalie absentmindedly glanced around the classroom.  It was nearing six in the afternoon and with the day consisting of semi-boring classes and little to no food, her attention span and energy was practically nonexistent.

  _“As for the FBI, now that is a whole other story.  You never hear about the common person hating someone in that position, unless your name is James Comey and you have a bunch of people who think you did an inadequate job of investigating someone’s emails.” Again, another string of lighthearted chuckles escaped the professor’s mouth as he straightened up and glanced across the large classroom that had more computers than actual students. “I would tell you some stories of being a police officer and a special agent, but since time is running out…” Joe glanced down to his watch, reading the time. “Remind me to do so during our next class.”_

Snapping out of her trance, Natalie dug into her backpack, retrieved her keys, and shifted in her seat.  It was her last class of the day and honestly, despite it being just a whole hour and a half of storytelling and mindless lectures, it was probably the most interesting and attention grabbing class up until the last ten minutes.  The reason for this was Professor Merriweather had this kink for dragging out the class as much as he could.

He was one of  _those_ professors who never dismissed class early.

_“So, guys, as I attempt to drag out the last minute of this amazing class, remember you have assignments due by the end of tomorrow night. I know on the first day of class, I asked you guys if I looked like you mother and proceeded to explain that I would not remind you to do things, but right now, I am making an exception.” Pushing off the podium, Joe took a few steps and stood next to his desk. “Remember, do the quiz, it’s ten questions and has two attempts. If you somehow manage to not get a hundred the first time around, because I am such a nice professor, the correct answers appear on the second go around – it’s a little gift from me to you. And in an addition to that, start on your lengthy research papers. Don’t procrastinate it because it isn’t the easiest of topics.”_

With that, half, if not most of the class took to their feet, gathered their belongings, and were on their way out the door.  Of course, there were a handful of students lingering in the classroom, waiting their turn to ask the professor a wide array of questions, but just as quick as they asked the questions, they were heading out the door as the professor finished his response.

Natalie silently lingered by Joe’s desk, one arm propped up against the edge while the other absentmindedly fiddled with her keys as she listened to the last of the questions before it was just the two of them left in the room.

_“Ahh, Ms. Jankoski, what a pleasure seeing you not glancing around the classroom the entire time.” Joe greeted, turning on his heels and retreating behind the desk once more. “Before you say anything, what happened to that kid who used to sit next to you? Was he a friend or what?” He questioned, placing his hands on the back of the office chair. “I mean, he just showed up a few times in the beginning of the semester and boom, never appeared again. I figured I would ask you since it seemed as if you two talked quite often whether it be on your way to class, during class, or after class.  Don’t think I’m a creep or anything, but it’s just my years of observation skills coming out to play.” Digging a hand into his pocket, he began to fiddle with whatever items were stashed away. “I just noticed some sort of connection between the two, but once again, I’m no creep, just observing things.”_

Shaking her head, Natalie couldn’t help but give off a few fake chuckles at not only the greeting but the question as well.  The ‘kid’ he was referring to was Landon, her good for nothing ex-boyfriend.  For the past month, he was MIA in class and despite texting Natalie, explaining how he was sorry and how he would show up to the next class meeting, his actions failed to uphold his words.

Smiling, Natalie laughed once more before speaking. “Landon?” She asked, shifting on her feet, pulling her hand off his desk. “Well, I have to admit, I haven’t seen my ex since we broke up and honestly, it’s kind of great. But besides that, I don’t know where he’s been. He’s told me that he was going to come back to class, but knowing him, he’s too busy with his friends, sitting on his couch, and smoking weed. Either way, it’s not my problem, at least, not anymore.” Natalie shrugged, reeling in her lanyard until she was gripping her keys in her hand. “At this point, you might as well just drop him from the class because we all know that he’s not going to come back and it’s kind of a shame because, despite my zoning out from time to time, the class is extremely interesting due to all the stories you tell.”

Briefly, Natalie glanced down to her phone to read the time and realized only five minutes passed since the end of class up until now. Those five minutes felt far longer than just those three-hundred combined seconds. Perhaps it was due to who she was talking to. After all, speaking to a retired police officer and former FBI special agent, Natalie always felt like she was being examined and analyzed in some way.

_Throughout her reply, Joe nodded along indicating that he was actually paying attention instead of simply letting the information go in through one ear and out the other.  “Well, first off, thank you for the compliment, that is, if it is a compliment.” Joe chuckled a few times and sidestepped back to the podium just a foot or so away. “Secondly, I wasn’t expecting this to get personal, but sorry to hear about the whole mess. But from what I can tell, it’s not bothering you one bit and that’s a very good thing. Focus on your studies, young lady! Don’t let a man, or in this case, a boy, take you away from your studies.” Joe chuckled, attempting to lighten up the conversation because even though she was portraying herself as a happy, young lady with her lighthearted laughs and glowing smiles, Joe knew better and could see right through the façade she was portraying. “Thirdly, I may just take your advice on dropping poor, ole’ Landon. It is a shame, paying for a class and then not showing up.  I mean, come on, we are all adults here, he should know better and act professional instead of not attending a class over a matter such as this.” Clasping his hands over the edge of the podium, Joe leaned forward. “No offense to you, but it’s not a good excuse to not show up. Tisk, tisk, to him, that right there with the addition of the whole weed smoking thing, makes me believe that a career in this field isn’t for him.”_

Shrugging, Natalie glanced over to the door, watching as a student came and vanished from her view.  “Yeah…” She muttered, keeping her eyes locked on the door for a moment. “It is what it is, though.  In all honesty, it doesn’t really bother me.” Running her tongue across her bottom lip, biting down on her lip afterwards, she brought her attention back to Joe who was unwrapping a piece of gum.

_“Mmm.” Joe hummed, casting a glance up in her direction. “I’m sure it doesn’t.” He added in an almost monotone voice as he continued to unwrap his gum. “But the way you’re acting tells me differently. You should know better than to lie to someone such as myself who has extensive experience in reading people.” Popping the piece of gum into his mouth, Joe glanced up, a stern expression on his face. “But like you said ‘it is what it is’.” His sternness changed back to a welcoming expression. “Here, have a piece,” Joe said, extending his hand out, offering her a piece of the red velvet gum he was chewing on. “It honestly tastes horrible and nothing like red velvet, but like you say, ‘it is what it is’. It’s probably better than chewing on your bottom lip, though.  I hope you know biting your lip is usually a sign of nervousness or deception. Plus, it’s a bad habit.” Joe flicked the gum, motioning for her to take it from him._

Running a finger against the groove of her car key, Natalie sat there in almost a shocked state. Her assumption on being studied by the older man turned out to be true.

Staring at the piece of gum, Natalie examined his hand for a moment and noticed that the ring that once claimed his ring finger was now missing.

Joe wasn’t the only observational one here.

 

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After sitting down in his office, not only does Natalie receive her stories, but she notices something else that is missing.

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 **POV:** Natalie  
**Characters:** _Natalie, _Joe Merriweather (Indented), Professor Miller (Indented italics)__ _ **[  
](https://fuck-yeah-lets-do-negan-ff.tumblr.com/post/159498492291/you-should-know-better-pt8)**_**Quote:**    _“Get comfortable, this might be a long ride unless you take Miller’s advice and tell me to stop.”_

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__

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_“You know, they say gum helps you stay alert and awake,” Joe said as Natalie finally accepted the piece of gum. “Two areas you seem to be lacking in at the current moment,” Joe added, pushing away from the podium, and returning behind his desk. “Understandable, though. It’s late in the day, and you’ve been here since the morning.” Turning, he smiled once more. “Once again, it sounds creepy, but it’s not. Like I said before, I have a keen sense of noticing my students while they walk around campus with their eyes glued to their phones.” Gripping the back of his chair, Joe leaned over, grabbing his black briefcase from the floor. “Gotta be observant in this day in age no matter what. Trust me, it’s a good skill set to have and it comes in handy with where you’re going, so, it’s a win-win.” Straightening up, Joe placed the briefcase on the desk. “Now,” his eyes locked onto her as she fiddled with the gum wrapper. “Since it’s getting late and I’m sure you would much rather be on your way home than to listen to me ramble on with whatever I can come up with at the moment, what exactly do you need, Ms. Jankoski?”_

Running a finger across the smooth gum wrapper, Natalie continued to listen, shaking her head every now and then as she unwrapped the wrapper, revealing a red piece of gum. “Although, I feel like I’m some sort of test subject being studied right now and, I suppose for the rest of the semester as well, it’s fine, I understand where you are coming from.” Popping the piece of gum into her mouth, she finally rested her eyes back on him, only to notice that he was doing the same. “There’s no need to apologize since I’m the same way. I guess it’s a habit we share,” with that, a soft scoff came from her.

Natalie was always one to keep eye contact with whoever she was speaking to, but for some reason, keeping contact with her professor was something different - it was almost intimidating and it had always been this way, but nevertheless, she always persisted.

“Now, I’m not sure if you want to answer this, but since I practically want to follow in your footsteps, in terms of career, I thought you!” Natalie extended her arms out almost as if she was presenting something. “The police officer turn FBI Special Agent turn police officer 2.0 who also dabbles in teaching college courses, would be the best source of information for this assignment. After all, you always seem to be a good source of stories and information.”  A moment passed, and the two of them stared at each other in silence while Natalie attempted to collect her thoughts and proceed with the conversation.  But with a blank mind, the best she could do was turn and take a few steps away, tossing the small wrapper into the trash.

Tapping her finger against her lanyard, she finally turned around after a moment and spoke. “Now, let’s get down to business,” Natalie said, a false tone of amusement taking ahold of her voice. Clenching down onto her gum, she reclaimed her position before his desk and spoke once more. “Like I said, you don’t need to answer if you don’t want to, but since you already do this in class, I don’t think it’s a problem. But once again, it’s your call.”

 _Crossing his arms over his chest, Joe shifted on his feet and tilted his head. “I don’t appreciate you fiddling with your words, so, spit it out.” He said, his tone a mix of annoyance and curiosity. “You either want me to answer something or you don’t, but don’t worry, I’ll answer whatever you need me to answer, that’s why I’m here - to teach you and satisfy your needs…in an educational sense.”_ _Glancing down to his watch, he read the time. “That’s if time allows for it to be answered. I highly doubt that it will since the next class starts in just a few minutes and I know for certain that Dan is walking down the hallway right now as we speak.”_

Following Joe’s actions, Natalie glanced down to her phone, reading the time as well. “Look at that, you’re right.” She thought for a moment before continuing. “I guess I can just stay after class and we can discuss it next time around.” She negotiated. “But just for future references, I just need for you to tell me a story that you haven’t discussed in class, about your time on the force or bureau.” She replied, glancing up at the door that was now being opened by the next professor that occupied the room.

_“It doesn’t matter?” Joe asked, placing his sights on the door as well. “You should know that everything matters to some extent, don’t be foolish, young lady,” Joe said with sternness as he grabbed his suit jacket and dressed himself._

Almost reluctantly, Natalie watched as Joe teasingly placed on his black jacket at what seemed to be a slower pace than usual. Running a hand along her cheek, she took in a deep breath and continued to chew her gum, watching in silence as he fluffed out his jacket and ran a hand through his lightly gelled hair.

Oh, how he was attractive.

_Smirking as he gathered his belongings, Joe walked out from behind the desk and stood beside his student, leaning down slightly. “I told you Dan was almost here,” Joe whispered, a smile creeping onto his face as he straightened up and walked forward. “Come, Ms. Jankoski, let’s go to my office.” He said, looking over his shoulder and motioning for her to follow. “I’ll tell you a few stories and do whatever else you need me to do.” He added, stopping just a few feet from the door to greet his colleague with a firm handshake and a few words._

Following a few steps behind Joe, Natalie stopped in the isle of computers, halfheartedly listening to the conversation that the two men were engaging in.

_“Yeah, she wants me to tell her some stories for some assignment she has to do.” Joe added, turning to look at Natalie._

                 _“Wow, Natalie. That really hurts my feelings. You know you could’ve asked me for some stories during our class.” The professor shook his head and clutched his heart as if he was injured. “I’m kidding.” He added with a chuckle. “With so many years of experience under his belt, Joe has an assload of stories to tell you, just make sure to tell him to stop after a while because this man can go on for hours.”_

Smiling, Natalie nodded in response. “Sorry, Professor Miller.” She apologized as she leaned against the table, reeling in her keys, and clutching them. “Got the assignment last class and instead of procrastinating, I thought I should get a head start, so, here I am with Professor Merriweather, but don’t worry, I got you next time.”

_“You hear that, Dan? She’s going to get her way with me and then go to you.” Joe pitched in with a chuckle as he slapped Miller’s back. “I’ll see you later, buddy. Let me go take care of her for now.” Joe said, walking to the door, and opening it, holding it open for his counterpart to follow him out._

* * *

With a sprinkle of a conversation here and an exchange of friendly contact there, the two of them finally reached Joe’s office after a trek across campus _._

_“So, you want to hear a story?” Joe asked, digging into his pocket, and pulling out his keys. “I’ll give you a story alright. Might not be what you’re looking for, but it sure as hell is a story.” He muttered, opening the door, and motioning for her to enter_

Furrowing her brow while listening to his careless whispers, she stepped through the threshold of the room, looking around the area after entering.  It was small and filled with bookcases, papers, and pictures of Joe wearing several different uniforms.  She had been to his office a handful of times, but this time she noticed something missing from the center of his desk - a portrait of him and his wife.

_“Sit.” Joe ordered, pulling his student out of her trance, and squeezing past her while shutting the door. “Get comfortable, this might be a long ride unless you take Miller’s advice and tell me to stop.” He said with a chuckle as he approached his desk, placing his briefcase down and flicking on the lights. “I’m not saying it might be too much for you, but I’m sure you would rather be home and not with your professor.”_

Glancing behind her, Natalie looked at the closed door, surprised that he didn’t leave it cracked like most other professors do when they speak to a student. While doing so, she couldn’t help but scoff at the sexual reference - or at least she assumed it was one - Joe just said. 

“Long ride?” Natalie asked, turning back around to face Joe who was lingering behind his desk, both hands stored away in his pockets. “Not to be a smartass, but you have a point there, who wouldn’t want to be back at home?” Natalie asked, leaning forward a bit and looking out the window, watching as the night began to creep onto campus. “If you want to make things easier for the both of us, you can just tell a short story, that is, if you have any or simply just tell me a few main points. It’s whatever you want.”

 _Following her glance, Joe also looked out the window before leaning over his desk and abruptly shutting them. “I’ve grown a habit of shutting doors behind me wherever I go.” Joe spoke up, ignoring her proposition. “Same goes with blinds.” He added, leaning away from the window and letting the string fall from his hand. “Y_ _ou can open the door if you want, I really don’t mind, it’s my mistake for closing it.” He added, opening his briefcase, and messing with its contents._

Ignoring his lack of response on her offer and dismissing his counteroffer, Natalie approached a chair and sat down, placing her objects besides her, and pulling out a pad of paper and a pen. “Well,” she began as she settled into the chair, getting comfortable. “Whenever you’re ready, I guess. Start talking and I’ll start writing.” She said, watching as he slowly glanced up from his briefcase and nodded.

_Joe nodded and took a few moments to himself before speaking. “You know what’s just as dangerous as a man with a gun?” Joe asked, pulling a badge from his briefcase and placing it down on the desk. “Drunk driving.” He sternly answered, looking her straight in the eyes while his thumb ran across the cold material. “It’s Mother’s Day and I’m out doing my usual patrol when a call comes out over the radio.” Joe took a deep breath and straightened up, taking his suit jacket off and placing it on the back of his chair. “’10-55, drunken accident at the cross section of Baker and 50. 10-51.’ Which translates to a drunk driver, resulting in a wreck. So, as expected, I rush to the scene and I’m practically the first patrol unit there and it’s just a God damn mess. Car parts everywhere. Flashing lights illuminating the night sky. Firefighters and EMTs everywhere. The looming presence of death stalking its way through the area. The whole shebang-shaboom.” Pulling his seat out from his desk, Joe sat down. “You know what happened that night that compares to no other crash site I’ve been to?_

Natalie glanced up from her notepad and bit the end of her pencil. She took a moment to think before speaking. “A child?” Natalie answered with little confidence as she leaned onto the armrest of the chair. 

_Joe nodded. “It’s pure and simple: the loss of innocence at such a young age. But you were close.” Joe said, pulling himself up to his desk and leaning forward. “I got there and some asshole decided to just drive drunk and you know what the result of that was?” He questioned, his voice increasing in volume. “It resulted in **me**  holding a child in  **my**  arms while  **his**  mother was  **dying** just feet away from us. I told him, ‘Don’t worry, buddy, look up at the sky, your daddy will be here soon.’ and then took him back to my vehicle and comforted him.” Joe bit down on his lower lip, anger, and sadness clearly present on his features as he leaned away and back into his chair. “But his dad never came. Not only did he lose his mother, but his father was already out of the picture.” Joe shook his head, letting out a deep sigh as he regained his composure. “That drunken mess took away that child’s only parent and now… Now I have no idea what happened to the poor kid. Hopefully, the grandparents took him in because if not, he’s off in a home somewhere. Either way, that kid’s innocence is completely and utterly destroyed.”_

Thankfully, since Joe was a nice and clean speaker, writing down the key points of the story was an easy breeze, but what wasn’t an easy breeze was letting a small wave of sadness wash over her. She couldn’t even begin to piece together the story he was laying out before her.  Yes, the story as a whole was saddening, but the image of Joe holding a child while tragedy ensued just behind them was the thing that affected her more than anything. It was unusual to hear Joe in a saddened state since the only stories he told in class were ones of entertainment, excitement, action, and ones to study from.

_“Here’s another one for your little assignment.” Joe continued, looking through the blinds of his window. “I’m sitting at Denny’s during the start of my shift and a call of a 10-56 at the tracks of Regan St. erupts from my radio. 10-56 is a suicide. So, the old little lady who works at the gas station just across the tracks called in, saying a man was ‘stuck’ on the tracks and his car wasn’t moving. Turns out, after further investigation this man had just lost his job, was having a hard time with his family life, and was an alcoholic, so combine all those things, you get one dirty mess – literally. So, dispatch tells me this guy just jumped in front of the train and committed suicide. You know what happens when I get to the scene?” Joe asked, turning back to face Natalie who was vigorously writing away. “I find one arm over here, a shoe over there, a leg hanging out from the tracks. His body just fucking exploded and it was a complete and utter fucking mess, but not only did he die, but get this, the conductor of a train had a heart attack right after hitting the man and the ambulance wasn’t able to get to him quick enough because they stopped at the wrong intersection.” Joe shook his head almost as if he was disappointed. “Anyways, to wrap things up, since the tracks were closed, traffic began to become backed up and that, in turn, leads to people being pretty ticked off, but they, as in the people who were yelling and cursing at me for simply doing my job, don’t understand the circumstances of the closure.” Joe began to tap the desk to go along with his upcoming dialogue. “You see, two people just died and these people don’t care nor do they realize what had just happened, they just want to cross the tracks to get their damn Starbucks or whatever. No matter how long and how vaguely you tell them what the situation is, some people just don’t care.” Once more, there was another disappointing shake of Joe’s head as he placed a hand over his mouth and just sat there in silence for a moment. “Point is, this job, it’s not about just being a police officer, it’s much more than that. We are exceptional people and beneath all the fraud of allegations against the police, is the fact. And the fact is that less than one-half of one percent of police misfit that uniform. That right there is a better average than what you would find between clergymen.” Joe paused for a moment, crossing his hands over his chest._

Giving up on her notes, Natalie watched as Joe went through a series of emotions, only to return to his passive and neutral state. At this point, listening to Joe talk was far more important than writing down his words, but it seemed as if he was done speaking.  He just sat there, chewing on his gum while his eyes were fixated onto his wooden desk. “Wow.” She whispered, turning to look at the covered window.  “I don’t even ha—.”

_“What is a police officer?” He interrupted, leaning back into his chair. “They are the most needed person in someone’s hardship while being the most unwanted in another. They are called ‘sir’ or ‘ma’am’ to their face while being called ‘pig’ and ‘fuzz’ and receiving threats against their lives behind their back.  A police officer is someone who needs to be a diplomat and settle issues between two parties. They need to make split-second decisions that would take lawyers months to make. They are the first responders to an accident and are expected to start breathing, stop bleeding, and ensure the victim is alive and if they aren’t, then they expect a lawsuit on their hands or to serve a death notification. If they are too quick, they are careless. Too slow, they don’t care. Too nice, they’re a flirt. Too mean, they’re an ass. They need to draw while on the run and shoot where it doesn’t hurt. The spectrum of force is a continuum. If you hit them, they are a coward. If they hit you, they are a bully and engaging in ‘brutality’. They need to engage in fights while attempting to not damage their uniform or badge. A police officer is in constant contact with sin, yet, they learn to not partake in it. A police officer runs files and conducts reports until their eyes are irritated, but they continue to trek on to produce a case. They are the news breaker. The Protector. The shoulder to cry on. The friend. The Comforter. The Psychologist. The social worker. The minister. The husband or a wife. They are a daughter or a son. A brother or a sister. They are people who spend more time with complete strangers than their dearest loved ones. You see, you’re everything mixed into one uniform and badge and no matter what, people will either love you or hate you. You either learn to deal with new things every single damn day and you have to decide to either let those things get to you or to brush them aside. Do you understand?”_

 


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> During class, Natalie arrives late and as a punishment, Joe demonstrates a procedure on her. As a result, things begin to shift in their relationship and blood begins to boil - in a good way. 

* * *

 

**POV:** Natalie  
**Characters:**  Natalie,  _Joe Merriweather (Italics), Landon (Indented italics)_  
**Quote:**   _“Before we start, do you give me permission to touch you?”_

* * *

 

__

* * *

Four days passed since the last class meeting and during her off period, the conversations shared between Natalie and her professor along with the one-sided story exchange continued to plague her mind.  It wasn’t necessarily the verbal things that claimed her mind, instead, it was more of the non-verbal actions such as the smile he exchanged after dressing himself, the closer than normal proximity the two of them shared when he whispered to her, the abrupt and unneeded shutting of the blinds, and the innuendos Joe not-so-secretly slipped into the conversations. Either she was thinking too deep into his actions and blowing it out of proportion or Joe was crossing some sort of line and acting unprofessionally in the way he handled the situation.

_“Natalie,” Joe said, pulling his unaware, zoned-out, tardy student from her daydreams, “Since you walked in extremely late and seem to have your mind on other, seemingly more important things, you’re my lucky volunteer for the day.” Glancing down at his white button-up, Joe took a moment to brush away a piece of lint. “So, remove yourself from la-la land…” He looked up and began to roll his right sleeve up to his elbow. “Place yourself back into reality…” He repeated his actions on his left sleeve. “And come on up.”_

With sweaty palms and a racing heart, Natalie jolted from her daydreams and began paying full attention, slightly embarrassed by the situation. She began to listen as her professor passively-aggressively called her out and automatically volunteered her for whatever he had up his sleeves.

Locking eyes with him for just a moment, Natalie gave him  _the mother stare_  – the stare when a mother gives her child  _those_ crazy eyes in hopes of getting her point across and striking some sort of fear into the receiver. It, of course, did not work.

_“I’m a grown man and that stare doesn’t intimidate me especially from a young woman such as yourself, if you were, I don’t know, my mother, I would possibly be afraid – I would -, but right now, if you could so kindly as to get your ass up, things will be easy peasy lemon squeezy.” With his sassy reply, snickers began to erupt in the room._

With the eyes of her classmates locked onto her, Natalie hung her head low for a moment, raising her hand to her eyes and rubbing them. “Fine” She whispered, dropping her hand, and standing up, looking down at Landon who had finally shown up to class after nearly a month of being absent.  Cursing to herself for a moment, she watched as Landon shook his head and smiled, laughing as she left his side.

During the journey from the back of the room to the front, Natalie could not only physically feel the eyes of her fellow classmates burning into her, but Joe’s as well. 

Reaching the front of the class, Natalie glared at Joe before turning facing her classmates.

_“Before we start, do you give me permission to touch you?” Joe asked, walking out from behind the podium. “If you say ‘no’ then you may return to your seat.” Digging his hands into his pockets, Joe stood beside his student, awaiting her answer. “In all honesty, you probably should say ‘no’ due to the circumstances of this demonstration, but it’s all up to you, I know you didn’t willingly volunteer.” He said, this time speaking more in a whisper and directly to her._

Taken aback by his question, Natalie shifted on her feet, a puzzled expression claiming her face. “Can you touch me?” She repeated, tilting her head, and nearly laughing in his face, but her nerves prevented her from doing so. “I mean, I guess?” She answered, despite it being more of a question than an answer.

_“I don’t need an ‘I guess’, I need a definite answer,” Joe said firmly, pulling a hand from his pocket and running it along his stubbly cheek. “You know what?” He asked, bringing his sights from her and resting them on the class for a slight moment, watching as most of his students proceeded to zone out for a moment. “If you’re going to dodge the question, sit back down, and I’ll pick someone else.” Joe explained, slightly annoyed as he turned to the class once more, examining the faces that were hiding behind the desktops, looking for his next ‘victim’._

Looking out across the classroom as well, Natalie shook her head to herself. For a moment, she thought over the situation and what could possibly force him to ask for her permission. After a quick replay of last class, it quickly came to mind what the demonstration could be and that’s when it hit her – stop and frisk.

Concealing a smile by biting down on her lip, Natalie shook her head in an approving fashion. “Go ahead, I give you permission.” She finally answered, receiving a somewhat surprised reaction from her professor who turned to face her during her reply.

_“Good.” Joe muttered, turning to the class. “You hear that, class?” Joe commented quite loudly, grabbing the attention of his students once again. “She said yes. Remember that,” he paused, placing his hands back into his pockets. “Just in case I somehow get into a sticky situation,” He said with a scoff as he nodded and walked back to his desk, opening his briefcase, and pulling out his badge along with a pair of steel cuffs._

Realizing that he left her side, Natalie took a few steps forward and leaned against a table, watching as her professor dug through his briefcase and silently stood there by his desk.  She couldn’t help but glance back to Landon who was sitting there, a puzzled expression on his face as he looked between her and the professor. Offering her a tilt of his head and a furrow of his brow, Natalie shrugged, knowing that he was wondering what exactly would play out in the coming moments – she, of course, had an idea of what actions which were just moments from being played out. The glances and the silent conversation they shared were quickly interrupted by the closing of a briefcase and a clearing of a voice.

_“Terry versus Ohio, 1968 -  stop and frisk, a pat-down of the outer clothing for weapons and can only be conducted with **reasonable**  suspicion and for the fear of public safety along with a long line of other circumstances which I’m not repeating since you all should know them. This Supreme Cout decision is something that holds extreme importance in what you will do.” Joe announced, lingering behind his desk for a moment. “For this example, suppose Ms. Jankoski is out during the wee hours of the morning in a commercial area. Remember, houses are broken into during the day because no one is there and commercial buildings are broken into during the night because all the workers have gone home. Anyways, this area is a known hot-spot for crime and recently, a spike in burglaries has presented itself. Numerous reports claim the suspect is a slim female, wearing…” Joe looked her over for a moment. “black gloves, blue jeans and a black hoodie, standing roughly between 5’3 and 5’6 and carrying a backpack,” Joe spoke, clipping his badge and cuff holder onto his belt while walking towards his student. “I, as an officer stop the suspect and ask a few general questions, but receive evasive answers or answers that don’t make sense. So, first, I have reasonable suspicion to stop her due to the circumstances of the situation – loitering late at night in a place that is known to be burglarized during this time and wearing a hoodie and carrying a backpack.” Stopping beside her, Joe faced his class. “I have a reason to stop her, but no reason to frisk her, but let’s add in the notion that the burglar is known to smash in windows with a pipe wrench then I have reason to conduct a frisk. Remember, I am alone in the situation, I suspect she is armed and dangerous, she avoided my general questions, and the timing and location all play a part in my authority to conduct a frisk.”_

Taking a deep breath, she listened intently to his example, mentally checking off the circumstances in which the procedure could legally be done and of course, with everything Joe said, the procedure was justified. 

_Lightly placing a hand on her shoulder, Joe glanced down to his volunteer, aware that his unexpected touch caused her to tense up. “It’s understood that males frisk males and females frisk females, but since women officers may not be in the vicinity, may be in low numbers, and since the police cannot detain you for more than twenty minutes or so, it’s somewhat common for the opposite sex to frisk the other. Of course, the procedures and policies may be very in different departments, the frisking of the opposite sex_ **_should be_  ** _much more careful and less invasive. In the academy, you actually learn how to frisk the opposite sex.” Joe turned to the class and formed a smile. “So, guys, with the permission of my volunteer, I am going to conduct a **light** frisk.”_

Despite having a previous notion of what she was getting into, hearing that Joe was actually going to perform a frisk was just as shocking.  Turning her head just slightly to look at him, Natalie scoffed ‘oh joy’, receiving a few chuckles from her classmates in return.

_“Hey, if you want to sit back down then go ahead, but you’ve made it this far, might as well ride it out and finish it.” Joe said joining in with the chuckles, dropping his hand from her shoulder, and stepping back._

_“Ride it out and finish it.”_ Natalie thought to herself, chuckling at yet again, another innuendo from Joe. Shaking a finger in his direction, she spoke. “You’ve got a point there. Might as well carry out the rest of my embarrassment. No point in going back now.” She joked, stepping away from the table and standing by his side once more.

_Nodding, Joe lifted an eyebrow and took a step away. “Okay, perp.” He jokingly replied before adjusting his sleeves. “Now interlace your hands on top of your head_ _and I’m going to cuff you,” Joe instructed, fiddling with the latch on his holster before Natalie turned to give him a confused look._

“Wait, seriously?” Natalie protested, confused as if he was serious or just messing around, trying to work her up even more.

_Joe chuckled, clasping his holster. “No, but I do need for you to lock your hands behind your head and keep them there until I tell you otherwise,” Joe ordered._

With all eyes locked on her, Natalie reluctantly abided by his orders. Shifting on her feet and straightening up, she locked her hands and placed them behind her head, awaiting the next order or the initial touch.

_“Perfect,” Joe commented before taking a step forward and gripping her hands with one of his. “Spread ‘em.” Joe said, nearly in a whisper before going ahead and lightly tapping the inside of her feet, spreading them out._

There was a pause and a moment of silence, but Natalie could feel the remnants of his breath graze past her cheek and neck. The firm grip along with the warmth of his hands forced her body to release a trail of chills across her skin, but thankfully with the cover of her jacket, the chills went unnoticed.

_With the two of them standing with their sides facing the class, Joe proceeded with the demonstration. First, he quickly ran his free hand down her arms, lightly patting them while doing so. “You good?” Joe whispered, taking a step back and running his hand along her side, getting a two-tone ‘mmmhmm’ in response to his question and due to the placement of his hand. Running his right hand down her side, Joe felt her tense slightly, causing him to smirk, and let out a light scoff.  He continued to run his hand down her side, stopping at her waist. “Remember, it’s a frisk, not a search so I can’t physically dig into her pockets, but I can feel around them.” He addressed the class before returning to his demonstration and running his hand down her leg right leg before sliding his hand back up and pausing yet again._

If her turned on nature wasn’t apparent on her face, it surely was elsewhere.

Keeping her eyes locked on the floor, she remained tense throughout the whole ordeal, standing still, practically frozen and turned on all at the same time. It didn’t help that he let his hand linger on her waist for a moment before going frisking down her leg and gliding back.

Pulling away slightly due to the assumption the demonstration was over, she received a stern warning in return.

_“Ma’am, please don’t move away.” Jerking her back slightly and tightening his restraint on her hands. “Number one tip: don’t pull away from an officer unless you want to get friendly with the_ floor. _” Joe announced, switching his grip, gripping her hands with his right hand this time. With heavy breaths, Joe proceeded to slowly run his hands along her left side and leg before rising up once more and wrapping his arm around her waist and pretending to run his hand along the belt loops of her pants. In addition, his body wasn’t the only thing beginning to rise. Swallowing hard, and snaking his hands back to himself, Joe released his grip slightly and began to speak, fumbling with his words. “For females, just like males, there’s an extra area to search, but searching the breast area and crotch is completely inappropriate for class_ **and** on the job _.” Joe let his hands return to his sides before quickly placing one into his pocket. “If a male was to search the breast area, they would ask the woman to shake out her bra, but there really is no reason for this to happen since it’s just a simple frisk,”_

Pulling her gaze up from the floor, Natalie let out an unsteady breath, slightly aroused from the actions of her professor. Dropping her hands back down to her side, she turned to look at the class, Bringing a hand up to her face, she pretended to brush away a stray piece of hair. In reality, it was all a ruse to try to hide her blushing cheeks for the smallest of seconds.

_Turning to look at his visibly – to him – aroused student, Joe smiled, attempting to contain his own growing arousal. “Good job.” Joe praised, stretching his free arm out and motioning for her to take her seat again. “Taking that embarrassment like a champ.” He jokingly commented, raising his free hand for a high-five, but receiving none since she was already walking away from him. Slightly embarrassed, Joe raised his eyebrows as he returned to his podium, shielding his growing erection from the class._

Quickly returning to her seat, Natalie sat back down next to Landon who was just staring at her. Running her tongue across her bottom lip and shaking her head, she couldn’t believe the situation she had just endured.

Glancing to Landon, she attempted to conceal the happiness, but as expected, a chuckle escaped her lips and she shook her head, looking down and away.

   
           _“Shit looked like the beginning of a fucking porno. Next time, why don’t you just tell him to fuck you right then and there. Both of you seem to fucking enjoy it. I know you’re turned on expression and you have that look right the fuck now. You’re lucky no one else suspects anything.” Landon muttered, angry with the situation. “Fucking pat-down my ass. Guys a prick.” And with that, Landon collected his materials and abruptly left the classroom._

 

 


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After dismissing class early, Natalie walks outside only to get into a heated argument with her ex. Joe, after settling himself down, stumbles upon the mess and inserts himself into the altercation.

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**POV:** It straddles both Natalie and Joe’s POV  
**Characters:** Natalie,  _Joe Merriweather (Italics), Landon (Indented italics)_  
**Quote:**    _“The moment people run out of ways to socially express themselves, they resort to physical violence.”_

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_Moments of silence passed as Joe watched as his students filled out the assignment on Terry vs. Ohio that he had laid out during the beginning class. Lingering behind the podium, Joe hung his head low, his eyes fixated on the spare assignment laying idle on the smooth surface. He was slightly embarrassed by what he had done to Natalie and how aroused the ordeal made him. It didn’t help that a train of sexual thoughts had plagued his mind throughout the ordeal and up to this point._

_Closing his eyes, he fiddled with the keyring in his pocket, roughly running his finger along the cool metal ring as he thought of things that didn’t include **her.** Thankfully, being a master at hiding his emotions, his turned-on nature was nearly non-existent. Opening his eyes at the sound of whispers, Joe searched for the source, pinpointing it to Natalie and Landon, mainly Landon who was clearly angered by something. Settling his jaw, he watched them intently – a hunter watching his prey. Letting his eyes linger on the source of the whispers coming from the back of the room, Joe shifted on his feet, attempting to listen to the inaudible whispers, but failing to hear the contents of the conversation. Taking a deep breath and finally calming himself, ridding himself of his slight erection, Joe pulled his hand out of his pocket and began to address the class before a minor eruption disturbed the overall silence of the room and cut him off._

Lifting her head, Natalie listened to Landon’s little outburst, silently scoffing as he went on an unneeded tantrum about what had just happened. “Seriously Landon?,” She began, lifting her sights from the table top and settling them on him. “Give it up. Take a chill pill and chill out because I don’t care what you have to say. Get over whatever you’re complaining about.” She muttered, realizing that Landon had reached his tipping point and that the conversation was ending at this very moment. She watched as he stood up, disgust and anger claiming his lightly bearded face before snatching his belongings from the tabletop. All the while he did this, Landon’s eyes were locked on her and for some odd reason, a hint of fear struck her core, but was quickly replaced with disgust and amusement. 

Now, with a hint of disbelief claiming her face, she watched as he stormed along the back of the classroom and towards the door. “Why does that not shock me? Getting pissed and storming off – typical.” She whispered to herself as he turned back and faced the monitor before her as a string of disappointing shakes of her head ensued.  

_Watching the disturbance, Joe finally walked out from behind the podium, one hand gripping onto the corner of the smooth wood. A brief look of the class and Joe realized that the disturbance had gone unnoticed – most of the students assuming it was just a someone leaving early. Glancing back up, an intense microsecond of eye contact was shared between Joe and Landon. Straightening up and settling his jaw, Joe continued to stare at the angered man until he vanished out the door. After a moment of looking at the door, realizing that the student took a right instead of a left making it impossible for Joe to watch him storm down the hallway, Joe pulled his sights away and settled them on Natalie who was turning to look up at him as well. “Well,” He paused, loosening up his tense frame. “He should know better than to leave my class since he hasn’t been here for the past few weeks.” Joe finally broke the silence, directing his comment towards Natalie, but addressing the class. Thrumming his fingers against the podium, Joe shook his head to himself. “I think it’s a proper time to remove his ass from my class before these little outbursts of estranged anger and rudeness begin to become a thing – although, I **would** nip that in the bud  **very** quickly, I  **do not**  have time for such petty things and I would much rather waste my time on other important matters.” A hint of anger began to become apparent in his voice as he returned to the podium._

In all honesty, the situation in which Natalie was in at the current time was more than laugh-worthy. Landon, who had no plausible reason to be in the class, also had no plausible reason to be upset about a simple policing procedure. But in his defense, the things he spoke were truthful. After being in a relationship with him for a nearly year, Landon knew her many faces of being turned on and, as expected, he caught on to them during the procedure. Whether it be slightly or fully, she admittedly was turned on, there was no need to doubt that. But in her defense, who wouldn’t? An attractive older man toying with his younger counterpart during a very handsy procedure, pour in the word ‘professor’, “cop”,  and ‘student’ and you end up having the perfect type of fantasy.

A coy grin began to pull at the corners of her lips as she finally looked away from the monitor and over to Joe. It was apparent that he had been staring at her for some time now. Scoffing, she listened to him speak about her ex, explaining how it was time to withdraw him. “I told you.” She whispered to herself, looking away and reading over the assignment. Natalie began to look around the room, watching as her fellow classmates began to pull their attention away from the assignment and directing their attention to the professor who was continuing with his passive-aggressive banter.

_“But yeah,” Joe began, walking towards his desk, and placing his fists down.  “Why don’t you all follow in the footsteps of your former classmate and take off early.” He announced, watching as the heads of his students snapped up from their assignments and to him - a look of shock and confusion claiming most of their faces. “Seriously, I know I never let class out early, but I don’t have anything else planned for the day.” Lying, Joe looked away and began to fiddle with the papers on his desk. “Have a nice day and bring in the assignment next class. We will begin to discuss not only the theories of crime but the elements of various crimes and criminal law.”_

It took no more than a few seconds before the class erupted with noise. As expected, students began grabbing their belongings and rushing to the door, wanting to leave the class, and go on with their day in a hurry. Natalie, on the other hand, was one of the last students in the class as usual. Tossing her belongings into her bag, she listened as the remaining students opened the door and exited the room, leaving her alone with Joe yet again. Following in their steps, Natalie approached the door, but her name was called, forcing her to stop in her tracks. Facing the door, she glanced at the handle that was already in her hand.

_Looking up slowly, Joe ran a hand through his stubble. “Natalie.” He called out, stopped the student just as she was about to leave the room. “First off, forgive me if I crossed the line. I shouldn’t have volunteered you for this demonstration. I personally believe it may have affected you in some way to make you feel awkward, especially when you tensed under my touch. Even though it happens all the time in the real world, I don’t think it was suitable for a classroom setting, but that’s just me.” He stepped out from behind his desk and stood before the first table top. “Secondly…” He leaned over the desk, placing the palms on the cool wood. “You do know he is a ticking time bomb, right?”_

Letting her hand drop from the handle, Natalie slowly turned to face her professor who seemed to be a bit out of character. She listened, nodding at his apology, lightly scoffing afterwards since it was completely unneeded. The joking aura quickly dissipated when Joe commented on Landon.

“A ticking time bomb?” Natalie asked, stepping away from the door. “If my assumption is correct in what I think you’re trying to say – you might be right, but I wouldn’t know.” Natalie dug a hand into her pocket. “Said it before and I’ll say it again, but it’s not my problem, at least not anymore.” Natalie pointed at him and then to herself. “You and I. We’re in the same boat because this is the first time we’ve seen hi—.”

_“Look, I don’t need you to explain things to me, but trust me, I know what I’m talking about. I don’t just say these type assumptions for the hell of it. I’ve been around this type of stuff before. I’ve dealt with domestic situations and situations that lead up to that type of thing. I’ve dealt with situations like yours before.” Joe returned to his desk. “He’s a jealous, young, and angry man who seems to still be fixated on you.” Taking a moment to roll down his sleeves, Joe stood silent. “The moment people run out of ways to socially express themselves, they resort to physical violence.” He paused, looking up, and biting his lower lip for a second. “Just be careful around him, okay?”_

There was no reasonable point to try and bicker with Joe, so, instead, Natalie hung her head low, nodding in response to what he had to say. “I’ll try.” She replied, lifting her head, and walking back towards the door. “Have a nice rest of your day, professor.” She uttered before stepping out of the room.

* * *

_It was only a few minutes after Natalie and the rest of the class left that Joe did the same. Dressing himself with his suit jacket and clutching his black briefcase, Joe headed for the door. The situation revolving around Natalie and Landon continuing to irk him for some reason._

              _Turns out after Landon had stormed out of the class, he lingered just outside the door, waiting for his – in his mind – girlfriend to accompany him.  With tensions high and anger taking hold of him, Landon balled his fists as he paced in the corridor. His pacing ended when people began to flood through the door and into the barren hallway just moments after he had left the class. Turning on his heels, he waited for Natalie, but just as he expected, she was not a part of the exodus. It took a few moments before she finally made an appearance. Within seconds, Landon approached her, taking her by the wrist, and pulling her to the side, away from the from the view of the window. “What the fuck was that?” He asked, positioning her against the wall while he took a step back. “Seriously, what the fuck was that?” He repeated himself, running a hand through his hair as he bit down on his bottom lip, attempting to calm his anger._

Completely taken by surprise, Natalie followed Landon until the two stopped just feet away from the classroom. “What the fuck?” She protested, pulling her wrist from his grip and leaning up against the wall. “You need to seriously calm the fuck down. You’re completely pissed off because of literally nothing. You have absolutely no God damn reason to be here in this class and no fucking reason to be pissed off at me or the professor. Quit your shit and move on, it’s a fucking procedure, let it the fuck go. And you know what else you —.”  
  
           _Interrupting her, Landon continued with his tangent. “So, hold on. Hold on. Hold on.” Landon said pacing before her, tension still running high. “What you’re telling me is that I come back to class and suddenly Mr. McFucking Prick over here decides to just pull out a policing procedure out of his ass and do it in the middle of class.” Landon stopped, running a hand through his blonde hair. “And he decides to do it on a female student?” Landon cocked his head back and laughed. “You’ve got to be fucking kidding with me. What kind of shit —.” Landon stopped and turned towards the classroom door that was being opened. “Would you look at that, the man of the hour is here.” He muttered before stepping to Natalie and pointing a finger in her face saying “Ri-fucking-diculous” before storming off._

_Stepping out of the class, Joe pulled his wallet out, locking the door with his I.D card before stepping away and looking down the hall. Witnessing Landon stepping before Natalie, Joe tilted his head and clutched his belongings in his hand. What Joe just witnessed was something that he would not let side under his supervision and be allowed to be swept under the rug. Realizing that Landon was storming towards his way and passed him, Joe stared at Natalie – who was completely in awe of the situation – before turning on his heels and closing in on Landon. Within a few strides, Joe reached his hand out, gripping the young man by the shoulder and jerking him back. _Despite Landon sizing Joe up with a glare as he attempted to escape his grasp__ _, Joe kept a firm grip on him. “Why don’t you and I have a nice little chat?” Joe declared, wrapping his hand around the man’s shoulder and firmly patting him on the chest. “Let’s first start with the consequences of your outburst and number of absences.” Joe directed them down a side hall, making the two of them vanish from Natalie’s sight. “You are officially out of my class after today. I’m not going to waste my time on you just like you don’t want to waste your time coming to class. So, to make it easier for the both of us. Do not attend my class again and do not sign up for any of my other classes in the future.”_

            _Scoffing, Landon spoke. “Don’t worry about me joining you in any other class sessions, buddy. I don’t want to see you again, so, it’s a win-win for the both of us.” Landon muttered looking up at the man who stood just a few inches taller than him._

_“Good. Good.” Joe replied as he stopped in his tracks, forcing Landon to do the same as well. “Now, man to man, I have one more issue to address.” Joe dropped his hand from Landon’s shoulder and backed him up against the wall, just as Landon had done to Natalie. “I need you to pay strict attention to what I am about to say because I am not going to repeat myself, **buddy**.” Clutching his briefcase, Joe held back from laughing, watching as a glint of fear began to shine in Landon’s eyes after being cornered. “You, my friend, are a danger, so, I need you to not talk to her anymore. I need you to keep away from her. I need you to stop texting, facetiming, and whatever else you kids do – you two are  **not**  together anymore get, so that through your  **thick** head.” Joe tapped Landon’s head twice with his finger. “If I find you around her – let alone any other woman that I deem you are a threat to – I will be  **forced**  to step in – professor or cop, it doesn’t matter, I still wear a badge and I still have authority in either profession.” Joe paused for a moment, his sights locked on the man before him, a man who was no longer just angry, but fearful as well. “Listen here,  **buddy,**  I will fuck up your world by charging you with assault and whatever else I can rack on, so, I suggest you take my words to heart because I do  **not**  have the patience for  **boys**  like yourself who think it’s perfectly okay to get in a woman’s face. I might let other shit slide, but that’s one that I will not allow.” Joe took a step forward. “You should know better than to do that, especially around me.” Joe said almost in a whisper. _

_Turning to look down the hall, he realized that Natalie was watching the two of them and with that, Joe offered her a smile before turning back to Landon. “Understand, **buddy**?” Joe asked, lightly slapping Landon’s cheek twice before backing away._

 


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After having a conversation about what happened between Joe and Landon, things between Natalie and Joe begin to dramatically change.

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**POV:** Natalie  
**Characters:**  Natalie,  _Joe Merriweather (Italics)_  
**Quote:**   _“This is virgin territory to me, so, as long as you don’t tell anyone, it won’t be a virgin for much longer.”_

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With Spring Break less than a week away, Natalie expected her phone to blow up with messages from Landon begging her to come out and spend time with him, but surprisingly, those texts never came. It had been a few days since the altercation between Natalie and Landon escalated into an intense discussion between Landon and Joe and even if it wasn’t clearly visible, an intense shift within both relationships was apparent. The usual handful of texts she received daily seemed to cease, which, in her mind, was not only a small weight lifted off her shoulders but also a newly acquired curiosity as to why they had ceased. Natalie had an idea, though. It was obvious that whatever happened in that side hallway was the reason for Landon’s lack of involvement. Whatever Joe had said or threatened to do to Landon  ** _had_  **to be behind the lack of communication and she was out to find out what exactly had happened. As for the relationship with Joe, that was yet to be determined, but it was apparent that something between the two had changed. 

It didn’t take long, but after a long walk across campus, she finally arrived at the desolate corridor that was littered with several offices of different professors. Walking down the empty hallway, she noticed that a few of the office doors were wide open with professors chatting away with students and colleagues while the rest were closed – this was to be expected considering that she arrived during a class hour. Spotting Joe’s office at the end of the hall, Natalie trudged forward, hoping that he was in it.

_With his last class ending fifteen minutes prior, Joe had returned to his office in hopes of grading some assignments that he was grossly behind on. Sitting at his desk, Joe read over the papers while soaking up the silence he had been blessed with.  Silence was a rare and cherished thing for him. But as expected, all good things come to an end._

_A knock interrupted the brief respite, forcing him to look up from his papers and stare at his closed door, a low groan escaping from his lips. He had no previous appointments with any of his students today and it was rare for another professor to come knocking on his door when it was closed. It was known throughout the masses that if his door was closed, so was the time to converse. Exhaling deeply, he tossed the papers onto his desk and reclined in his chair before answering. “What?” Joe called out, raising his hand, and removing his glasses._

With the door closed, Natalie stood in the empty hallway, waiting for a voice to emerge from the other side of the door. After what felt like an eternity, a deep voice broke the silence. The response she received was nothing more than an annoyed greeting. Placing a hand on the smooth wood, she replied through the barrier.  “Professor Merriweather…” She began, her tone mirroring that of her professors. “I know it’s unexpected, but I believe that the contents of this discussion are better to be spoken in private than through a door.” She paused for a quick moment before adding onto her comment. “So, professor, are we going to talk through the door or can I come in?” Despite clutching the handle in her hand, she never turned it and instead focused her attention on a professor that was nearing her and entering an office just two doors down.

_Cocking his head back, Joe tossed his glasses onto the table and began rubbing his eyes. “Ms. Jankoski, since when do you appear on campus on a Thursday evening?” Joe questioned through the door. “Don’t answer that. It’s a rhetorical question.” He chimed in before she could say anything. “But with much regret, I must say that I’m not taking conferences at the current time.” Lowering his hand and leaning forward, Joe opened his eyes and stared at the door. “If the issue you have to discuss is still present after Spring Break then feel free to schedule an appointment or speak to me after class, but as of now, I’m sorry, but it has to wait, so, instead of wasting your time, I suggest you leave.” Truthfully, he had no intention to speak with his student- not after their previous interactions._

Smiling, Natalie took a step away from the door, running a hand through her hair. She wasn’t going anywhere; this meeting was going to happen one way or another, there was no way in hell she drove all the way to campus just to be told to return after the break.  

While thinking over her decisions, Natalie rested her hands on her hips, glancing out the window, tracking a student passing under the overhang.  She continued to track the person until they vanished from sight and that’s when she turned on her heels and returned to the door. “That doesn’t answer my initial question. In fact, I didn’t ask if you were taking conferences at all.” Pausing, Natalie ran her tongue along her bottom lip, knowing well enough that the next few sentences out of her mouth would either force him to accept her inside or completely dismiss her. “If I read your syllabus right, you actually accept walk-ins between the hour of 6 and 7 p.m., so, professor, you should know better than to dodge questions. Besides, this conversation will be more personal than academic.”

_“Oh, give me a fucking break,” Joe muttered to himself as he stayed put, pondering over his options. Resting his elbows on his desk, he rested his chin on his knuckles, his eyes narrowing in on the door handle. “If the door is closed then so is the possibility of conversations – personal or academic,” Joe replied, untwining his hands, and grabbing his glasses, placing them on once more. “But since I have a strong sense that you won’t stop pestering me until I allow you in – come in.” Joe replied, realizing that it was far easier to give in than to keep up this little game of talking through the door._

Content with how easy it was to get her way, Natalie inhaled deeply before turning the handle and entering through the door. At last, walking into his office, she was greeted with the scent of coffee and cologne. The room had yet to drastically change since her last visit – the blinds were still drawn, pictures littered the walls, papers were neatly placed on any open surface, and that one picture frame that held a picture of he and his wife was still missing.

_“Shut the door,” Joe ordered, bringing his student from her examination of his room. “You have…” He glanced down at his watch, reading the time. “Until 6:45 to tell me what you need to tell me. That means you have five minutes to either convince me to continue speaking to you or to dismiss you. Like I said, I’m not taking meetings, conferences, discussions, or whatever else can be conjured up, so, don’t take it personally. Sit and start talking.” Once more, Joe reclined in his chair and clasped his hands onto his stomach._

Considering her lack of time, Natalie opted to jump right into the conversation instead of a steady warm-up of small talk.  “Fine. What did you say to him? Tell me what happened between you two.” Natalie said firmly, claiming a seat just opposite of him.

_Tilting his head, Joe raised an eyebrow. “Excuse me?” He asked, a neutral expression claiming his face despite wanting to scoff at the question. “You’re telling me came all this way to stand outside my door and pester me just so you could ask me what I said to **him.”** Joe shook his head, breaking his eye contact to look out the slits of the blinds that were drawn. “You have to be kidding me, right? Please tell me you are.”_

It was almost as if she felt her jaw hit the floor again -  Joe was dodging one of her questions yet again. Natalie shook her head in response to his ridiculous question. “If you’re giving me a time constraint then you’re not able to dodge my questions.” Natalie leaned forward, closing the gap between herself and the desk. “I just want to know, so, just tell me.”

 _Because of his disbelief towards the situation, Joe shook his head, biting down on his bottom lip_.

Latching onto his smallest of interactions, Natalie spoke again. “I hope you know biting your lip is usually a sign of nervousness or deception. Plus, it’s a bad habit.” Natalie repeated the very words Joe had told her nearly a week ago.

_Smiling, revealing those deep dimples of his, Joe returned his gaze to her, giving a boyish nod. “You’re absolutely right.” Quieting down, he looked her over, watching as she leaned over his desk, her V-neck revealing more than it should. “He and I had a little…talk,” Joe answered, his eyes returning to hers, his hands slipping onto his lap. “What more do you want to know?” Joe asked._

Rolling her eyes, Natalie straightened up and leaned against the backing of the seat. “The contents of the conversation, professor. The contents. All these short replies do is confirm that you’re dodging the questions.”Natalie shook her head, disappointed with him. “Just answer the questions, that’s all.”

_“If my memory serves me correct, I believe you said Landon isn’t your problem and that you don’t care anymore, but right now, it looks like you’re backing out on your comment that you so firmly said just a week or so ago.” Joe loosely quoted as his hands returned on top of the desk and he pulled himself forward. “But if you want to know so badly and insist on busting my balls on the issue then fine, I’ll tell you whatever your little heart desires – no time constraint this time.”_

Crossing her arms over her chest, Natalie nodded in agreement. “That’s all I wanted.”  She chimed in.

_“To protect and serve, right? That’s one of my mottos, right?” Joe questioned. “Well, at that moment I was doing my duty of protecting you, a citizen from a threat. When I left that room, I saw how close he was to your face and even if you can’t sense it, I can sense the danger that was radiating off from him, so, I did my duty of protecting you even if you weren’t necessarily asking for it. As for the contents of the conversation…” Joe scoffed and ran a hand through his hair. “Well, first, I told him to not return to class and that he was officially withdrawn from it then I told him to not sign up for any of my future classes as well.” Joe zoned out for a moment, thinking back to the conversation, a grin pulling at the edge of his lips._

Listening intently to what Joe was saying, Natalie realized that the contents of the conversation weren’t as bad as she had initially thought. Perhaps, Landon had finally given up his thirsty nature and decided to stop contacting her after the last class meeting. “That wasn’t too hard, was it?” She asked, a smile finally making an appearance.

_Joe smirked, dropping his head to hid his chuckling. “Well, it gets much harder because that wasn’t the end of it,” Joe admitted, lifting his head, his smirk traded for a broad smile. “I might have gotten a bit out of line and threatened to charge him with several different things if I found him around you again or any other woman I deemed him to be a threat to, but hey, I was still doing my duty of protecting the great citizens of this campus.” Joe jokingly stretching his arms out. “Looks like I’ve got one thing down-pat with the whole ‘protect and serve’ thing.” Settling his hands back onto the desk, Joe waited for her response – a feeling deep down indicating that the response would be much more sour than sweet._

The smile that once claimed a spot on her lips quickly disappeared after hearing the rest of what Joe had to say. Uncrossing her arms, she let one fall onto the armrest while the other stroked the side of her face until her fingers lightly tugged at her bottom lip. Silence began to envelop them and for a few moments, she just stared at the edge of his wooden desk, zoning out of the conversation and tuning in onto the anger that began to build up within her.

_“Is that alright with you? Do you need anything else?” Joe spoke, breaking the silence, watching as she slowly pulled her gaze from the desk and up to him._

For a moment, Natalie just glared at him, her head shaking in a disappointing fashion. “So, you told him to leave me alone?” Natalie glanced down to the palm of her hands. “That’s why he hasn’t messaged me since that day.” She said in an unexpectedly disappointed whisper.

_Joe nodded once and clenched his jaw, humming a ‘mm hmm’ in response to her question.  “No need to worry about him anymore, aren’t you happy about that? With my help, your problem has officially been solved.”_

“No,” Natalie answered, letting her hand finally drop onto her lap. “You can’t do that.” She said as if she was trying to reason with him. “You can’t just  _do_ that.” She repeated, her eyes finally lifting to meet his. “You can’t just tell someone what they can do with someone else. You have no right. You have no rule to do that. You have no authority in my life just like I don’t have any in your life. The only authority you have is when I sit my ass in your classroom and if you somehow manage to pull me over one day, but besides that…” She bit down on her lip, her anger rising more. “ _You **can’t** do that.” _She practically hissed through her teeth. “You are a  ** _professor_** and  ** _you_** _**need**_ to keep it that way. Don’t go meddling in the affairs of your students.”

With that, Natalie abruptly stood up, nearly flipping the chair onto its back. Staring at Joe for a moment, the muscle in her jaw proceeded to be flexed while her eyes narrowed onto him. “Thanks for your help, but you need to stay out of it.” With every word, she pointed her finger closer to him before turning on her heels and walking towards the door.

_Even though Natalie was on the opposite side of his desk, with every finger point, Joe slouched slightly into his chair. Right now, he was completely confused with the situation, after all, she conveyed to him on several occasions that she was completely over him and wanted nothing to do with the young man, but here Natalie was, upset with his actions. Yes, Joe understood where she was coming from, well, at least partially, but what he didn’t fully understand was her unexpected anger towards him._

_Casting glances between the door and her, Joe quickly stood up. “Sit down!” He called out loudly firmly, leaning over his desk. “Sit down **right**  now.” He ordered yet again, but his commands were completely and utterly ignored._

“My initial five minutes are up,” Natalie called out, glancing over her shoulder while nearing the door. “You answered my questions and that’s all I wanted to know.” Finally reaching the door, she opened it.

_Within seconds, Joe was on his feet and with his long strides, was behind Natalie within a matter of seconds. As she began to open the door, Joe stretched his hand out, slamming the door shut and cornering his student with his arm and the door. “The conversation doesn’t end until **I**  say it ends, do you understand?” Joe asked, shifting on his feet, looking down at his student who quickly turned to face him, a look of surprise on her face. “Now, you know I like to keep my door shut.”  He muttered, a smirk claiming his lips as the atmosphere began to change dramatically . _

Aware that she had angered Joe to a certain extent, Natalie never expected him to jump out of his seat and trail her. In all her time of knowing the man, she had never seen him be anything other than calm and collected. When the door unexpectedly slammed shut, Natalie nearly jumped out of her shoes. Turning to face him, a confused yet surprised expression took hold of her features while her jaw nearly dropped to the floor. She was right, there was a shift in their relationship. Yes, Joe was clearly angered, but with the way he lingered before her, it felt as if he was hiding his true emotions.

Looking away and breaking eye contact, Natalie rested her sights on the bookcase just behind Joe. Once again, it was not only somewhat awkward to be in such close quarters with Joe, but it was extremely alluring. Placing him in her crosshairs once more, Natalie lifted her hand and placed it on his chest, applying pressure until he took a step away. “I think it’s best if there was some sort of space between the both of us before. After all, we both know what happened last class when we’re a bit too close.” Scoffing, Natalie shook her head almost embarrassed by the situation.  Letting her hand drop down to her side, she added one more thing. “Anyways, I thought you said ‘if the door is closed then so is the possibility of conversations – personal or academic.’ But now you’re all for a conversation?”

_Slightly tensing at her touch, Joe willingly took a step away from her, increasing the gap despite his arm still claiming its rightful position on the door. “Ah, so you noticed that?” Joe asked as a smile crept onto his face. “Have to admit, I got a bit carried away there. I’m not going go to lie, but it was quite enjoyable and you know it was.” Joe paused, dropping his head in disbelief at that he was about to say. “The way you hummed the ‘mm hmm’ wasn’t just in response to my question, now was it? The way you tensed under my touch and remained tensed throughout the ordeal. Yeah, it’s common for that to happen, but I don’t think you were scared. I don’t know if it was noticeable to you or the class – besides Landon -, but I think you were turned on by the whole ordeal.” Joe lifted his head, his dimples accompanying his smile. “Scratch that, I **know**  you were turned on. Now, as for what I said before…” Unaware that he had taken a step forward during his monologue, Joe closed the gap once more. “Who says we’re going to be talking?” Thinking with his wrong head, Joe officially closed the gap by reaching out and tilting her head up, bringing his lips just inches from her. “That’s if you allow it,” Joe whispered, his warm breath spreading out across her cheek._

An eruption of chills spread out across Natalie’s skin the moment Joe stepped forward, backing her into the door once more and placing his hand on her chin. As always, Joe was right in his assumption and there was absolutely no denying that during the previous class meeting, she was turned on, but turns out her assumption of him was correct as well – he was turned on during the ordeal as well.

The rational side of Natalie urged her to open the door and walk away from the proposition, but the irrational side urged her on. It practically yelled for her to accept the offer and go at it with him and as a result, she nodded her head, agreeing with his comment.

Natalie tried to conceal a smile, but she failed. As a smile began to appear on her face, she slowly ran her tongue across her bottom lip, inhaling his scent, and inviting in the warmth of his hand and face. “Have you done this before?”

_Joe slowly shook his head. “No.” He whispered, his lips grazing up against hers. “This is virgin territory to me, so, as long as you don’t tell anyone, it won’t be a virgin for much longer,” Joe added, finally pressing his lips against her while his hand snaked down to her throat, lightly groping at the upper portion of her neck._

Although she was expecting the kiss to happen at any moment, Natalie couldn’t help but smile beneath the kiss. Combining the tension of the situation, the man who she was with, and the grip on her neck, made her achieve a level of arousal she had yet to achieve. Although it was just a simple kiss, she was practically begging for more. In fact, she would be lying if she said she had never thought about a situation like this before - a situation where she managed to cross the line with this man, she had known professionally for quite a bit of time.  

She couldn’t help but let her hand reclaim the position on his chest, gripping his blue shirt while she attempted to deepen the kiss, but to her disappointment, Joe pulled away.

_The kiss didn’t last long since Joe quickly pulled away, his rational self-reclaiming his mind and leading for him to immediately regret his actions. With wide eyes, Joe took a step away, his hand releasing its grip from her neck and running through his hair. “Shit.” He muttered, turning around, his hand reaching his mouth, cupping it. “Fuck, what did I just do?” He asked himself, the shock of the events washing over him. “I just kissed my fucking student.” He whispered, casting a glance over his shoulder, looking at the woman who was calmly staring at him. “Look, I’m sorry.” He slowly turned around, his hand running along his scruff. “That…I…” He fumbled with his words. “That wasn’t supposed to happen. I…I don’t know why that happened.” Joe took another step back, nearly stumbling over his own feet which was far better than stumbling over his words. “Just please, don’t tell anyone. That’s unprofessional for me to do. I just wasn’t thinking. Please…” He pleaded.  “I’m sorry.”_

To Natalie, it was almost amusing the way Joe begged and pleaded for her to not tell anyone or to report him to the dean’s office. Natalie wanted more, there was no denying that. Apparently, Joe’s keen sense of reading people at all moments was out of service.

Stepping forward to him only to watch him retreat a step back, Natalie reached her hand out slightly, a smile on her face. “It’s okay, Joe.” She said, disregarding formal names considering what they had just done. “Truthfully, I’m all for popping the cherry on that virgin territory,” Natalie admitted, taking another cautious step forward. “There’s no way in hell I’m telling anyone about what just happened, you have my word on that.”  With every step forward, Joe would take one back making for this whole thing to be a game of cat-and-mouse. It didn’t take long, but Natalie watched as Joe finally backed against his wooden desk.

_“It’s not right,” Joe muttered, balancing himself against the desk. “It just isn’t right. Relationships between professors and students are strictly forbidden while attending classes together.”_

“But would you look at that, we’re not attending class right now,” Natalie interjected, standing before Joe who was clearly turned on, but also in extreme shock as to what he had just done.

_Joe couldn’t help but grin at her response. “In a way, I suppose you’re right, but…” He finally leaned away from the desk, straightening up before her. It was almost as if he could feel his heart about to burst him his chest, this situation was far more intense and dangerous than any call he had been on.  Staring down at her, Joe took in the innocence – even if she wasn’t innocent – of the woman who stood before him knowing well enough that that innocence would soon be gone. Smiling, he spoke once more. “Since I’ve already done my duty of protecting.” He stepped forward, latching his hand onto her once more. “I guess it’s time to serve.”_


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After a night out with Landon, Natalie is on the way home when Officer Merriweather pulls them over. Things begin to get heated in all sorts of ways.

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**POV:**  Joe  
**Characters:**  Natalie Jankoski,  _Joe Merriweather (Italics)_ , Natalie Jankoski (Italics) _, Landon ( **Bold** -Indented italics)_  
**Quote:** _“I told you the drill before, you move, you fall.”_  

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_“I guess it’s time to serve,” Joe muttered after latching a hand onto Natalie’s neck yet again, his body following behind, closing the space between their two warm bodies. As his lips reclaimed hers, the pressure of his erection pressed against Natalie’s hip, forcing a small moan to escape her lips which was then met with a stern bite on her lower lip: a warning from Joe to stay quiet.  His free hand began to move all over Natalie; warm, rough, and expert all at the same time. Gliding down the length of her back, it making her arch slightly to his touch – wanting deeply to escape into him. Practically high off the dangerous situation, his hand continued to snake across her skin as if he can’t decide which part he craved most. With a curious smirk, Natalie teasingly ran her hand down the length of his button-up_ _until it reached his black dress pants where she gripped at the tent in his pants – oh, how the slightest of touch made Joe tense._ _As a result of her playful nature, Joe pulled away for a moment, his hand that was once on her neck glided onto her back as the other hooked beneath her, forcing her off the ground and against his chest. It took no more than a few seconds before the warmth of his hand was replaced with the coldness of the desk as he gently placed her down, tossing aside any papers or pencils from the area. Standing tall, Joe quickly fiddled with the buckle of his belt – his eyes never leaving hers as she ran her tongue across her bottom lip, soaking in the taste of him, not only was she soaking in the taste of him, but the smell of his cologne and coffee, the rasp of his beard, and the sound of his heavy breaths added to the sensations of the situation.  Finally graced with success, Joe quickly took a knee, his hands running up her sides, dragging her shirt up with them as he pulled her closer to his face. A grin curled at the ends of his lips as he stood up slightly, leaned forward, and left a trail of kisses from her neck to her collarbone to the center of her chest where her shirt rested. In response, the body who laid beneath him arched forward and a string of sexual sighs escaped her lips. Joe quickly returned to her lips, sternly biting down on her bottom lip once more – a silent warning yet again. Pulling away slowly, his hand snaked its way to the waistband of her jeans and attempted to wiggle into them, but with the clothing being too tight, his hand was too big to slip all the way in. A groan escaped his lips as he ripped his hand out from her clothing and began to fiddle with her own belt and the buttons of her jeans. Throughout the undressing, Natalie rested her eyes on Joe as a hand ran through her hair, a smile on her lips. As for Joe, his fingers worked quickly to remove the annoying clothing, his eyes glancing between her jeans and up to lock eyes with her._

         ** _“Hey.”_**

_Perking up like a hungry dog – his body still over Natalie’s - Joe quickly turned around, facing the door. Listening closely, the sound of muffled voices cut through the heavy breathing of the room._

         ** _“Are you in there?”_**

_Pulling away, Joe quickly buckled his belt, Natalie following in his footsteps and pulling her shirt back down and fixing her jeans. Putting a finger to his lips, he silently told his partner to keep quiet before a knock echoed throughout the room._

         ** _“Is anyone in there?”  Was spoken followed by the sound of snapping fingers._**

With a familiar voice forcing Natalie to pull away from her daydreams and succumb to reality once more, she shook her head slightly, focusing her sights on the passing traffic lights that illuminated the darkening sky.  It took a moment, but she finally responded. “Yeah, I’m listening.” She shifted in the passage seat, resting her forearm on the center console, her eyes settling onto Landon who was looking back at her, a look of annoyance claiming his features.

         _Nodding, Landon turned to face the road once more, one hand gripping the steering wheel, the other reaching for the can that sat in the cup holder. “Fucker kicked me out of his classes. Told me not to attend any further ones or sign up for them, but like I said, that’s mainly what the whole conversation was about.” Bringing the Budweiser to his lips, he took a swig from it. “He’s just a prick with a badge.” Landon shrugged, placing the drink between his legs – the truck pulling forward and down the road. “Oh, well. At least, I have an upper hand when it comes to you.” He chuckled, the smell of alcohol spreading across the cab of the truck. Cocking an eyebrow, Landon chuckled again. “I’ve fucked his favorite student and would you look at that, he hasn’t.”_

With wide eyes and an open mouth, Natalie sat there, a single scoff escaping her lips as she shook her head in disbelief. “Landon!” She called out, playfully slapping his chest as he drove. Staring into the side-view mirror, she continued. “Looks like you two are on the same playing field because  _you_  won’t be fucking me anymore.” She added, a smile forming on her face at the joke and the thought of what happened within the confines of Joe’s office just a day before.

         _“Oh, come on. I take you out to eat and you’re telling me that I can’t at least eat you out?” He asked, stepping on the gas, forcing the truck to exceed the speed limit despite approaching a stop sign._

Focusing on the truck behind them, Natalie squinted her eyes, attempting to figure out of that truck was a regular truck with a light beam on top or if it was a sheriff’s truck.

“You might want to sl–.” Interrupted by the sound of a single siren and the constant blinding motion of the red and blue flashing lights, Natalie turned to face Landon. “Slow down.” She finished, turning around in her seat, she waited to see if the truck would pass on by or continue following them, but considering that these two trucks were practically the only ones on the road, the chance of the sheriff’s truck pulling away was slim to none.

         _“Fucking shit.” Landon muttered, glancing into the rearview mirror, tossing the can of beer into the back of the cab. “Just what I need.” He muttered, pulling off onto the side of the road, the accompanying truck following along._

“For God’s sake, Landon, I fucking told you not to have that shit open when you drive and to add to that, your dumbass just had to speed,” Natalie complained, quickly turning to see a familiar man stepping down from the other truck. “No fucking way.” She muttered, watching as the man readied himself before quickly turning and shrinking back into her seat. Despite not even being drunk, Natalie was still nervous about the situation.  That nervousness quickly switched into a higher gear when she realized that it was, in fact, Joe who was the officer who pulled them over.  

_Sitting in the cab of his vehicle, Joe stared out the open window for a moment, watching as the sun slowly disappeared beneath the horizon. After rolling up his window, Joe stepped out of the truck, his black boots connecting with the road while his hands gripped his equipment belt, adjusting the heavy weight as he slammed the door shut. With a cool breeze lingering in the air, a black windbreaker jacket emblazoned with the words ‘sheriff’ accompanied by a badge on the front kept the chills at bay as Joe approached the other truck. With the headlights of his truck paired with the lights of the ‘freedom’, Joe looked through the rear windows of the vehicle as he walked beside the truck, noticing only two occupants within._

_“I can’t fucking believe the luck we’re having tonight! Look who it is, my best friend!” Landon called out, laughing as he rolled the window down and dug into his pocket, grabbing his license, then retrieving his proof of insurance and registration._

_Joe’s eyes trailed along the side of the white truck until they rested on the window that was being rolled down. Joe removed his black aviators and tucked them into the front pocket of his jacket before quickly placing his sights on the driver. To his amazement, he had managed to pull over Landon – upon that realization, a single chuckle came from Joe’s lips as he glanced into the cab, the smell of alcohol one of the first things he noticed._

A displeased groan came from Natalie as she shrunk even further into the seat – wanting desperately to disappear from the situation. The tension shared between Joe and Landon was already unrepairable, so, this situation would do nothing but increase that tension. There was no way of knowing how the outcome of the situation would be, but the assumption of a bad ending was more than apparent.

_“You know the procedure. License and registration, bud.” Joe stated, knowing well enough that calling Landon ‘bud’ or ‘buddy’ would irk him tremendously. Sidestepping, and looking into the dark cab of the truck, Joe rested his eyes on the silhouette. “You know, you were speeding back there and that’s why I initially pulled you over, but the smell of beer is pretty present in here. Tell me, have you been drinking, buddy?” Joe asked, his eyes coming back to focus on Landon. “Better be honest – things will play out far easier if you do,” Joe warned, casting a glance over the objects he grabbed from Landon._

_With a close-lipped smile, Landon hung his head low, nodding slightly in defeat. “Yeah, a couple beers, but I’m not drunk.” He admitted._

_Nodding, Joe turned his attention to the passenger for a closer look, his stomach dropping when he realized it was Natalie._ _Clenching his jaw, Joe took a step back, shaking his head slightly as he looked into the rear end of the truck – attempting to keep his emotions in check. “What were you reaching in the back for?” Joe questioned, taking his flashlight out and beaming in into the truck. “I saw you reaching. You have an open container back there?” Receiving no answer, Joe sighed before stepping back towards his truck. “You two stay here. Especially you, young lady.” Joe pointed his flashlight into the truck, the beam resting on Natalie. “Think about what I **told you** about drunk driving.”_

With her heart pounding out of her chest and with the blinding beam of the flashlight in her face, Natalie turned her head away, shielding herself from the light and attempting to shield herself from a disappointed Joe. 

* * *

_It didn’t take long, but Joe returned to the truck, the flashlight, and Landon’s papers still in his hand. “Okay, listen here, I’m going to need for you to step out of the vehicle. We’re going to do a sobriety exercise on you.”_

_Resting a hand on the steering wheel, Landon cocked his head back and groaned. “Oh, come on. Are you serious right now?”  He pleaded, looking at Joe who was nothing but stone-cold at the moment. “Come on, Merriweather, I’m just dropping her off, just let us go. Let’s just talk about it.”_

_Joe shook his head, a chain of laughter coming from his lips. “Look, I’m trying to be as nice to you as I can, but I can’t just let you go. You’re intoxicated to some level! You’ve already confessed to drinking and there’s no way I can just let that slide. If I do that, I would’nt be acting very professional,_ _so, my hands are tied here.” Flashing his beam into the car once more, he took a quick moment to look around. “No more negotiating. If I have to drag you out of here, you best believe that I will, but let’s not make a scene in front of the lady and let’s not tack on anymore charges.”_

_Another minute of pleading and negotiations happened before Joe gripped the handle of the truck, pulling open the driver’s door. “Listen, if I have to get hand’s on with you, it’s going to get **worse**  for you and  **then**  I’m going to arrest you for resisting an officer, obstruction, and a bundle of other things.” Turning away, Joe spoke into his radio, requesting for a car that had a cage in the back. “And guess what, if you don’t get out now, I  **will** tase you.” Joe stepped away from the truck slightly, allowing for space so Landon could jump down, that is if he decided to follow his orders._

_Raising his hands defensively, Landon shifted in his seat, pretending as if he was going to exit the truck. “Come on, Joe, let’s make a deal, okay?” Landon pleaded yet again, the scent of alcohol pouring out from his mouth with every word spoke. “I’ll just…I’ll just let her drive.” Landon offered, turning in his seat, looking at Natalie who was staring out the window, disregarding the whole situation as if she wasn’t there. “Problem solved if she does that, right?” Resting his hands on his lap, Landon turned to face Joe once more._

_“No. It’s too late for it to be solved. Should have been smart and let her drive from the start, but since you are extremely stubborn and disobey laws **and**  my orders.” Joe paused for a moment, a stern and angry expression claiming his features – his response carrying more than one meaning. “Things are about to get  **very, very** bad for you.” Joe shook his head, beaming the light into the car once more. “You might want to tell your friend here to listen to me or I’m dragging him out in about two seconds and if it comes to it, you’re going to watch your friend here get tased and probably piss his pants.” Beaming the light back to Landon, Joe addressed him. “Step out of the car  **now**.” He ordered, motioning with his hand for him to step out._

Pulling her gaze from the flashing lights that she was watching in the side-view mirror, Natalie turned in her seat, resting her eyes on Joe at first.  Looking him over in his black on black on black uniform, her mind traveled back to just two days prior, resulting in a smile pulling at the edges of her lips. Forcing herself out of  _that_ trance yet again, she turned to Landon, who’s back was to her.

“He’s got a point, he has been overly nice to you and I suggest you just listen to him. Landon, you’re already in a hole and you’re only digging yourself a deeper one. Just man up and take the punishment and things will be over. Spend a night in jail and you’ll be out by tomorrow.” Natalie explained, trying to convince Landon to cooperate with Joe’s answers.

_Joe smirked. “Yeah, listen to her. Be a man.” He said with a nod of his head as Landon finally gave up and stepped out, his posture of a defeated and embarrassed man. “See, bud, that wasn’t that hard, now was it?” Joe asked, lingering beside the door, and motioning for Landon to walk to the back of the truck – which he did or at least attempted to since his balance was completely offset. “As for you, young lady,” Joe muttered, turning back to Natalie, a steely and disappointed look grabbing hold of his features and voice. “You can get out too.” Joe barked, slamming the door shut and walking away._

_Returning to Landon’s side, Joe waited for Natalie to appear within his view. With the truck door slamming, Joe pointed to the curb. “Sit.” He ordered to the girl before turning back to Landon and roughly pushing him up against the back of the white truck. “Got anything that will hurt my person?”_

_Stretching his hands out to steady himself, Landon nodded in a ‘no’ motion as he rested his eyes on the road below him, stretching his legs out while he was at it. “Is this really necessary?” Landon questioned, turning around slightly, his hands dropping from the bed of the truck._

_Gripping the back of his shirt, Joe pushed Landon forward a bit. “What did I say in class that one day?” Joe questioned, positioning his face just a few inches from the incorporative man. “Resist an officer and you will get friendly with the floor.” Backing away, Joe resumed the procedure, taking a step back when he was finished. “Now, tell me, are you going to submit to a field sobriety test or are you going to be bullheaded some more?” The only response Joe received was a wad of snot landing on the floor next to him. Glancing down, Joe stood there silently, cocking his head back and forth before stepping away a bit more. “I take that as a no.” He assumed, turning to look at Natalie and motioning for her to come stand next to him. “You can go have a seat on that curb, but I’m not playing with you, Landon. You move, you get tased and trust me, you’ll get **very** friendly with the pavement.” Joe watched as Landon wobbled his way to where Natalie was sat._

_Shifting on his feet, Joe rested a forearm on his belt before speaking to Natalie. “You know the drill, young lady.” Joe whispered, the once cold and steely expression now a welcoming and somewhat lust filled one. “Against the truck and spread ‘em.” Switching his sights from Natalie to Landon back to Natalie, Joe made sure to keep Landon in his sights, wanting – for some reason – for him to see what was about to happen._

_Positioning himself behind her, Joe slid his hands onto her hips as he leaned forward, his face next to hers. “Why are you with him?” He whispered, pulling away, his scruff sliding across her skin as he ran slowly and sensually pulled his hands up her sides, running them along her arms and then back down._

Dropping her head only for it to be cocked back slightly as the warmth of his hands ran across her cold body, Natalie bit down on her lower lip and she dropped her head once more. “He offered me food.” She muttered, tilting her head slightly, feeling the warmth of his body come into the crook of her neck once more. “Who says no to free food?” She asked, getting a scoff in response.

_“Food, eh?” Joe asked, resisting the temptation to latch onto her neck with his lips. Turning slightly, Joe eyed Landon who was eyeing him back._ _Winking at him and smiling, Joe turned to the left, realizing that another cruiser was just up the road. Shifting on his feet behind her again, Joe pressed up slightly against Natalie before running his hand across her waistband, feeling her tense beneath his touch as she did before in class. “Relax. You weren’t this tense just a few days ago.” Joe whispered, losing his restraint, and dipping a hand beneath her fabric of her jeans. “So, you’re telling me if I take you out to get food…” His hand reached her slit, before dipping into it just slightly. “I can get lucky?” He asked as he barely moved his finger across her clit, forcing her to lean forward slightly, resulting in his body moving with hers, and a deep chuckle to escape his lips._

_In the blink of an eye, Joe ripped his hand out of her pants, turned around, and pulled his taser from its holster – the cartridge pointing right at the drunk who was staggering towards them. Honestly, this was the result Joe was hoping for, hence why he dismissed cuffing Landon when he denied the FST._

_“Don’t step a foot closer or I **will**  tase you, Landon.” Joe yelled, stretching a hand out and guiding Natalie behind him. “I told you before, you move, you fall.” Joe added, taking a cautious step back, blocking Natalie from Landon if necessary. “You’re already going to jail, don’t make it worse on yourself, pal.” Joe falsely pleaded as the assisting cruiser pulled behind his truck. Watching as Landon stepped forward yet again, Joe warned one last time. “Sit back down or I will tase you.” He said sternly, his trigger finger getting the best of him and firing off the taser prematurely._

Looking out from behind Joe, Natalie watched – almost in slow motion – as the cartridge popped out, the sound of electricity zapping and popping throughout the air filled her ears as the body of her ex-boyfriend hit the ground, an agonizing muffled cry coming from him.

Placing a hand on the back of Joe, she stepped beside him. “Joe, what the fuck?” She asked, looking up at him, his stance still in a shooting position, his eyes focused on the man sprawled out before him. It took only a second before he pulled away from her and rushed to Landon, placing a knee in the center of the man’s back as he retrieved his cuffs, slapping them onto the man and tightening them as the assisting officer came to his aid.

Standing there in awe, any previous sexual desire was thrown out the window as she watched Joe and the other officer drag Landon to his feet, the probes still latched into his chest.

* * *

After a few minutes, Landon was successfully tucked away into the back of the caged cruiser, Joe was off to the side discussing the details of the altercation, and Natalie was pacing in front of Joe ’s truck, the side of her thumb in her mouth as she nervously peeled away a piece of skin.

_Slapping the back of his colleague’s shoulder, Joe placed a firm grip on his friend before nodding and bidding his farewell to her. Returning to the distraught Natalie, Joe placed a hand out, attempting to calm her in some way. “Come on.” He whispered, crouching slightly to look her in the eyes. “Get in the truck, I’ll take you home.” He said with a warm smile, guiding her to the passenger side of his truck._

 


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While driving Natalie home, Joe decides to make a pit stop to handle some business.

* * *

 

 **POV:** Joe  
**Characters:**  Joe Merriweather,  _Natalie Jankoski (Italics)_  
**Quote:**  “ _Hey, Merriweather, get your ass back to the station. That arrestee you gave me is acting up and since you’re the original arresting officer, you need to deal with this mess.”_  

* * *

 

* * *

 

Keeping his eyes on the empty road before them, Joe sat silently in his seat, one hand tapping the steering wheel, the other resting on his lap, pulsing in and out along his inner thigh. Every few minutes, Joe would turn to his right and look at Natalie who, since from the beginning of the drive, was staring out of the passenger side window, her eyes latching onto the silhouettes of the trees and the rails of the road that passed through the truck lights and her view.  Since the beginning of the ride, there was nothing but silence in the cab of the truck and although silence was something cherished by Joe, one thing he could not stand was an awkward silence.

Even though Joe did not know the underlying reason for why Natalie was ignoring him, he had two assumptions. On one hand, it was possible that she was ticked off with his frisky pat-down. It was true, Joe had crossed several lines that could get him in deep trouble when he positioned himself behind her while she leaned against the truck, but considering what had happened less than forty-eight hours ago, Joe had a strong feeling this was not it. On the other hand, Natalie was more than likely ticked off after the whole altercation that resulted in her  _beloved_  ex-boyfriend to be sprawled out on the side of the road with a jolt of electricity circulating through his body, forcing him to cry out in agony.  Out of the two options, Joe would bet his life that the latter was the true reason for her disregard towards him.

Turning to her once more, Joe finally broke the silence. “You just going to sit there and sulk the entire ride or are you actually going to say something?” Joe asked, his voice rough and deep, forcing him to clear his throat. “I don’t even know where the hell I’m driving, so, you know, if you want to just sit there and act like a child the whole time, the least you can do is tell me your address so I can get you out of this truck and go about on my shift.” Exchanging glances her and the road, Joe continued. “You know, you’re lucky to be here in this truck with me. This isn’t a taxi service and technically I’m not supposed to be driving you to wherever the hell you live. The situation you got yourself into, that’s on you, and you should be the one responsible for finding a way to get your ass home, but no, since I am  _such_  a good public servant, I’m here with your stubborn, quiet ass when I should be processing  _your_ boyfriend.” Staring at her for a moment, Joe placed his sights back onto the road before him, the hint of anger that he had when he first realized that it was Natalie sitting in the truck with Landon, was beginning to flourish.

With the lack of an answer and no motivation to talk to a wall, Joe pressed a button on his dash, bringing the radio to life. “Fuck it, fine.” He muttered under his breath as fiddled with the channels until he finally came to a channel that was playing music instead of advertisements. Out of curiosity, he turned slightly to his right to see if Natalie had pulled her gaze away from the darkness, but as expected, she was still staring into the void.

Sighing loudly with annoyance, Joe shook his head and spoke, despite knowing the result he would receive. “This stuff they call ‘hip-hop’, you kids like this type of music, right?” Joe asked, referring to her as a child, hoping that it would tick her off to some extent if only for a reaction.

Placing his hand back onto the center console, he turned his attention back onto the road as the song ended and the radio broadcaster came on, announcing a few ads and then the next song. Surprised by the song, a smile spread out across Joe’s lips as he spoke once more. “I remember when this first came out,” Joe said with a laugh as he reached over and turned the radio louder, letting the intro of the song fill the cab. “Buy you a drank. Wow, what a  _classic_  from like ten years ago.” He added with a hint of sarcasm, receiving a scoff in return.

Dropping his jaw in amazement, Joe slowly turned to look at her. “Did you just…Did you just scoff at me?” He asked, exchanging hands on the steering wheel. “That’s it, you asked for it.” Joe explained, snapping along with the intro of the song. “For that scoff, I’m going to sing and dance for you.” He leaned in slightly, dropping his voice into a whisper. “Make you get a little bit of secondhand embarrassment even though you’re not even paying attention to me.”

With every actual snap of the beat, Joe shifted in his seat, shimmying to his left and then to his right as he continued to snap his finger beside Natalie’s ear. Unable to control the smile on his face, Joe chuckled slightly before the lyrics finally broke through the beat.

 _“Baby girl, what’s your name?”_ Abruptly turning his head to look at Natalie, Joe poked her in the arm a few times. “ _Let me talk to you, let me buy you a drink. I’m Joe Merriweather, you know me.”_ Taking both hands, Joe took his thumbs and began bobbing them towards him.

_Suddenly, Natalie turned, cutting out the radio and looking at Joe. “Stop it.” She said despite having a small grin on her lips. Looking up at Joe, she questioned him. “Why did you do it?”_

With wide eyes and creased brow, Joe reached out and placed a finger on the radio knob. “First off, my truck, my rules. Don’t touch my radio and don’t touch  _any_  of this cool shit you see in here. Keep your little hands on your lap and we won’t have an issue.” Joe warned, looking at her for a second before nodding and turning the radio back on.

 _“Then imma take you home with me.”_ Nudging her with his elbow, Joe quickly dug into his back pocket, whipping out his wallet and letting it fall open. “ _I got money in the bank, shawty, what you think about that?”_ He sang, letting her get a glance at the amount of cash and the various cards and golden badge that called his wallet home.

Letting the wallet fall into his lap, Joe continued to embarrassingly sing. “ _I’ll be in the black F-150 sheriff’s truck and we’ll be in the bed like ooh ooh ooh, ooh ooh.”_ While Joe sang the ‘ohh’s’, he stretched his arm all the way against the steering wheel as he began to grind in his seat, his hips moving from side to side as he did short thrusts. Sadly, his fun was quickly cut out yet again as the music came to a stop.

_Although it was a good laugh, Natalie wanted answers to her questions, well, the only question she asked, she wanted an answer to.  “Come on, Joe.” She said with a scoff, her mood becoming a bit lighter. “Enough of your embarrassing moves. You dance like my dad, well, without the grinding and all.” She teased, finally shifting in her seat to face him more. “Answer the question, old man.”_

Clutching his chest, Joe groaned in agony as if he was seriously hurt. “Goddamn it, child!” He cried out. “Calling me old like your dad  ** _and_** turning off my radio  ** _again_**! You’re just on a damn roll right now, aren’t you? Hitting me where is really hurts!” Removing his hand from his uniform, Joe watched the road for a moment before waving a finger in her face. “Call me old all you want – obviously, I’m an old man that you have a crush on and that turns you on -, but touch my damn radio? Nope, you’re crossing the line yet  ** _again_** , young lady.” Turning the radio back on, Joe added one last warning. “ **Don’t** touch  **my**  damn radio again and if you do, I’m pulling over. **”** Breaking the tension with his warning, he smiled, those deep dimples revealing themselves.

 _“I’m checking your body language, I love the_ conversation – not really -  _and when you lick your lips I get a tingling sen—.”_ Yet again, with wide eyes, Joe snapped his head to look at her, the radio cutting off again. “ ** _FUCK_** ,” Joe yelled, slamming his hand on the steering wheel. “I fucking tell you not to touch my shit and what do you do? Touch my shit! You listen so well in class, but outside, you don’t listen for shit, Natalie.”

Knowing the area like the back of his hand, Joe turned down a side road that resulted in a dead end. The street was dimly lit, the only light was whatever the moon was offering and the number of houses that belonged to the street was scarce.

_Hearing Joe yell and get angry was not only extremely intimidating and scary but slightly funny and attractive. Shrinking back into the seat, Natalie knew better than to anger him further. “Damn, Mr. Merriweather.” She began, figuring that using his formal name would keep him from becoming even angrier. “Or Officer, whichever you prefer, I’m sorry. I was just —”_

“You were just disobeying my order, now weren’t you? I tell you twice not to touch my stuff and you still don’t listen.” Joe interrupted, his voice portraying frustration even though he physically wasn’t angered, instead, he was laughing on the inside with what he was about to do.

Pulling onto the grass of the side road, the truck came to a stop and Joe shifted it into park.

_“Wait, whoa, what’s going on?” Natalie asked, looking from Joe to the window and back to Joe almost as if she was a scared animal. “Were you serious?” Natalie asked, watching as Joe shifted in his seat and began taking his windbreaker off. If she thought watching him put his suit jacket on in class was slow, watching Joe take off that black jacket was twice as death and twice as slow. “You’re really goi–.” She stopped, watching as his hand came and hovered just inches away from her face as he removed the jacket from his body. The smell of his cologne briefly making her drunk. Shaking her head just slightly, she continued.  “Going to make me walk?” She questioned, almost pleading for him to say he was joking._

Joe gently placed his jacket onto the center console and inhaled deeply. Without a word, he turned the truck off, opened the door, stepped out, snatching his wallet from the driver’s seat and slammed the door shut.

_With her heart beginning to switch into a faster beat, Natalie watched as Joe stalked around the front of the truck. Despite it being almost completely dark, she could tell his posture was hunched and she could see a hand aggressively running through his hair.  It didn’t take long before he stood just outside the passenger side door. Clenching her jaw and exhaling deeply, she prepared herself to be chewed out._

Reaching the other side of the truck, Joe stood before the closed door for a moment, adjusting his equipment belt, and brushing a piece of lint from the sleeve he wore on his right arm. Finally, he placed a hand on the handle and pulled the door open, making the area come to life with a bit of light. “Get out,” Joe ordered, motioning for her to step out of the truck.

_Shaking her head, Natalie cupped her hands in her lap. “Joe, no.” She pleaded, shifting further into the truck so her back was now against the center console – the heat from Joe’s jacket still radiating onto her skin. “Come on, Joe, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it. You’re not really going to make me walk home in the pitch black?”_

Joe stood there quietly, shifting on his feet, his eyes latching onto the step of the truck. He never once threatened to make her walk. Yes, he threatened to pull over the truck, but to make her walk? No, Joe wasn’t  _that_  evil.

Shaking his head, Joe lifted his gaze, a sly grin on his feature. “Get out of the truck.” He ordered yet again, taking a step forward, placing a foot on the step of the truck. “You know, I am still on duty, I can still arrest you.” Joe toyed despite his voice still being authoritative. Reaching up, he gripped the handle on the roof of the truck and pulled himself up, leaning slightly into the cab, looming over her. “But I won’t because I am  _so_  nice and have no reason, but that doesn’t mean I won’t punish you.” For a moment, he was nothing but serious, but after a second that façade faded and a smile formed on his face. “Get out of the truck,” Joe said, reaching out and gripping one of her wrists. “Who said I was going to make you walk anyways?” He asked, pulling himself out of the truck, guiding her with him. “That’s horrible of you to assume that I am that horrible of a man,” Joe added, stepping down from the step and back onto the grass.

_Confused for a moment, Natalie willingly let Joe guide her back into an upright position. “Wait, what?” She asked more to herself than to him. “Wait…what?” She questioned again, realizing that the situation wasn’t going to play out how she actually thought it was going to. “Oh.” She said to herself, finally focusing on Joe who had a large smile on his face. “You want to punish me that way? Ohhh, I got you now.” She said although it came out a bit more flirtatious than expected._

Raising an eyebrow, a deep and low chuckle came from Joe’s lips. “Oh, you got me?” He repeated, dropping his hand from her wrist and letting it fall onto her lap. “No,” Joe said, shaking his head. “I think I got you.” In a quick motion, both hands snaked their way along her thighs and pulled her into his body. “ _We’ll be in the bed like_ …” He whispered, wrapping a hand around her back and pulling her out of the truck. “Ooh, Ooh Ooh.” Joe repeated, this time instead of singing it, he groaned it.

_With a smile spreading from ear to ear, Natalie couldn’t help but laugh at Joe, slightly shocked by the situation, but extremely aroused at the same time. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she leaned in for a kiss, but the only thing he did was back away and shake his head._

“Oh, no, no, no.” Joe scolded, taking a few steps away from the truck, leaving the door wide open. “Punishment.” He whispered, lifting her up slightly so she wasn’t sitting directly on his utility belt.

_“Oh, come on, Joe,” Natalie begged, leaning in for another kiss, only to be rejected yet again. Sighing, she decided to let one hand run from the back of his neck down to the first button of his uniform. She managed to only get one button undone before Joe leaned forward, latching his lips onto her neck, forcing her hand to grip his uniform instead of unbuttoning it._

_With one hand clutching his black uniform, the other clutched his black hair as Joe continued to stay latched onto her neck. He wasn’t kissing, instead, he was sucking on the delicate skin – the pulse in her neck nearly throbbing throughout her body. It didn’t take long before Joe nipped at her skin and pulled away slightly, his tongue grazing across the newly bruised area before he moved his head to the other side, forcing Natalie to cock her head back and let out a soft moan. He rested idly next to her ear, his warm breath spreading out across her neck before he went in and nibbled on her ear._

“Don’t be too loud now, we are still in a public area,” Joe whispered, nipping at her ear once more before carrying her to the back of the truck. Adjusting her against his chest once more, Joe searched for the handle of the truck bed as his lips focused on her collarbone. Exploring the bare area that her V-neck offered, he let the scruff of his beard tease her for a moment before backtracking and planting a line of kisses until he reached her neck.

After a moment of searching, Joe finally pulled the handle, forcing the bed of the truck to come crashing down just behind Natalie. “Fucking finally.” He groaned, pulling back slightly, and looking over her features. With the help of the cab light just before him, Joe examined the mark he had left on her, an accomplished chuckle coming from his lips as the purple and blue bruise was rapidly forming. “Might want to cover that up, but next time…” Joe gently placed her down onto the flap of the bed, “Next time I’ll make sure to leave them in places where no one can see them.”

Casting a careful glance around, Joe ensured that no car or person was in the area before proceeding.

Running his hands up her sides, forcing her shirt to ride up with his hands, Joe ran them back down until they rested on her waist. Pulling her body into his chest, Joe hunched over, his lips connecting with her warm stomach while one hand entwined itself with one of hers.

Slowly and teasingly, Joe planted gentle kisses from her bra down her stomach. It didn’t take long, but her free hand latched onto his hair yet again, forcing Joe to look up at her, his scruff gliding up and down her stomach as a result of their deep breathing. “Don’t do that,” Joe warned, planting a single kiss just above her belly button. “Punishment, little one.” He repeated, a sly grin tugging at his lips as he watched her squirm beneath him as he grabbed her hand and pulled it from his hair.

Pulling away, Joe turned his attention towards her face, resting his lips just inches from hers as both of his hands entwined with hers, lifting them above her head. “You go and hang out with Landon after I told you time and time again that he is nothing but trouble.  ** _You_**  come to  ** _my_**  office and try to seduce  ** _me_**  into fucking you – which we almost got caught doing – and then no more than forty-eight hours later you’re out with that fuck getting ‘food’ and letting him drive drunk.” Joe paused, glancing down, and watching her arch towards him, her body wanting to be against his. Chuckling, he placed her back into his sights. “For that, you need to be punished in some way,” Joe said with a smile, abruptly standing tall, and running a hand along his belt, searching for a pair of cuffs, but considering that his cuffs were on Landon and that his spare set rested in the cab of his truck, his plan to cuff her was cut short.

Clenching his jaw and cocking his head back, Joe clamped his eyes shut and let out a hearty groan. “Fuck,” he cursed under his breath, shaking his head, and running his hand down his neck. “Fuck it,” he muttered yet again, placing his hands back onto her, letting them get to work on her jeans. “Deal here is, you can’t touch me. Touch me and I’ll stop.” Joe warned, pulling the leather belt from its buckle, and unzipping her pants. “Got it?” Joe asked, receiving a nod in response which was then met with Joe pulling her pants down in a quick motion. “Good, take that as you first and last warning,” Joe announced, taking a step away from the bed of the truck, discarding her jeans, and tossing them beside her.

Crouching down just slightly, Joe lowered his face, becoming eye-level with her already wet pussy. “Tisk, tisk, that’s what I missed out on two days ago,” Joe spoke to himself as he ran his hands down her smooth legs, spreading them out before placing his hands back onto the bed of the truck. “Sadly…” Joe began, sinking his face between her thighs, leaving a trail of kisses on one side. “I can’t go…” Switching sides, he placed another trail of kissed along her thigh. “Back to the station…” He zoned in on her white laced thong, placing a single kiss on the material before pulling away and slipping his finger beneath the thin material. “Smelling like pussy, so, this meal…” Joe pulled the material to the side and straightened up, his free hand returning to his own zipper. “Will have to be eaten later on.”

To his amazement, Natalie was  _finally_ listening to his orders. She kept her hands to herself, although it was apparent that she was desperate to latch onto his hair or grip some part of his body.

After a moment of fiddling with his own zipper, Joe dug one hand into his pants, gripping his fully erect dick while the other dove two fingers into her pussy.  This combination was enough to make Joe nearly come to his tipping point, but his attempt to control himself was successful.  

Despite being fully clothed, Joe pulled his dick out and just as he was about to trade his fingers for his dick, Joe paused. After years of having unprotected sex with his ex-wife, it was natural for Joe to just dive right in, but not this time around. An animalistic groan came from Joe as he pulled his fingers from her and placed them on her mound, his other hand reaching for his wallet, pulling out a condom. “Can’t forget protection,” Joe spoke lowly, his tone joking as he placed the wrapper in his mouth, tearing the wrapper open, and spitting it onto the side of the road.

It took him a moment, but he finally managed to roll the condom on. “Fucking things. I’m not used to them anymore.” Joe said in annoyance as he positioned himself between her legs once more.  Gripping his dick, he teased her entrance as he leaned over her yet again. Not only were his breaths deep and unsteady, but hers fell in line with his. Smiling, Joe placed a gentle kiss on her bruised neck before returning to her ear “Now, try to be…”  In a quick motion, he thrust himself into her – a cry of pleasure coming from her.  “Quiet.” Joe finished in a low chuckle, placing his hands back onto her hips as he straightened back up, his thrusting finally taking effect after letting her adjust to him. “I would bite down on your lip of yours to make sure you keep quiet, but that would give you more pleasure than what I’m giving you now.”

At first, his thrusts were slow and painstakingly long, but being on the side of the road was no place for being slow and sensual, so, Joe increased his pace. With every thrust, Joe pulled her body towards his, meeting his thrust, forcing his orgasm that was already looming over him to creep closer and closer.

“Fuck,” Joe panted with closed eyes as he cocked his head back, his hands gripping her sides firmly. He suddenly felt the warmth of her hand wrap around one of his wrists, forcing his lids open and for him to look down at her.

The crackling of the radio snapped Joe out of his tranquility and disturbed his thrusts. Freezing mid-thrust, Joe remember that he was, in fact, still on the clock. “Fucking shit,” he complained, resuming those painstakingly long thrusts as a call came out over the radio.

_“Hey, Merriweather, get your ass back to the station. That arrestee you gave me is acting up and since you’re the original arresting officer, you need to deal with this mess.”_

Groaning, Joe placed a finger on his lips, telling Natalie to be quiet.

Taking a few seconds to himself, despite still slowly thrusting into her, Joe conjured up his thoughts and tried to slow his heavy breathing. Pulling a hand from her and placing it on the radio, Joke spoke. “Yeah…ugh…” Joe began, pausing just seconds later to gather his breath yet again. It didn’t help that Natalie gripped at his pants, pulling herself up slightly and further into him and vise versa. Raising his other hand, Joe forcefully gripped her neck, forcing her to lay straight back down. His grip may or may not have been a bit too tight, but right now, Joe needed to focus and reply.

Clearing his voice, he finally replied as if he wasn’t currently thrusting into a woman at that very moment. “10-4, I’ll be coming soon.” He managed to say without skipping a beat.

Instead of removing his hand from Natalie’s neck, Joe continued to keep it there, his grip loosening slightly as he quickened his pace. It didn’t take long, but Joe leaned forward yet again, this time his mouth finally meeting with hers, indicating to both of them that he was close to the edge.

_Overcome by some strange need to make Joe cum and make him cum well, Natalie bit down daringly on his lower lip, her hips rocking against him while holding onto his neck, and arching her back, her chest glued to his._

_Natalie felt Joe go taut from head to toe; the violent shudder running right through his tired body, his fingers tensing as they clutched at her waist; the warmth caught by the condom spreading within the container. His release was accompanied by an “oh, fuck” right into Natalie’s mouth. Joe continued to rock into her, each thrust a little less violent than the last, trembling just a little as the tension throughout his body was released. After a few moments, his hold on her loosened, and he stepped away, pulling out of her._

_Natalie looked him over, the vein in the middle of his forehead protruding out as well as the veins littering his bare forearm. She watched as Joe gripped the end of the bed and steadied himself while his head hung low and his chest rapidly rose and fell. Running a hand across her cheek, Natalie giggled lightly and laid her head back onto the warm bed of the truck as she closed her eyes._

Joe took a few moments to himself before removing the condom and tucking himself back into his pants. “Get up,” Joe said, stepping away placing a hand on her thigh, wiping his cum off before turning away and tying the condom, tossing it into the woods afterwards.  “Enough serving gotta go back to protecting.”

* * *

It took a good chunk of time, but Natalie and Joe finally arrived in front of her house.  Parking the truck in the middle of the road, Joe glanced at the house, unsure if she lived at home or if she rented a house with a handful of roommates.    
   
His investigation came to a stop when she placed a hand beneath his chin, forcing him to turn and look at her.  A wary smile claimed his features as he tried to hang his head low, slightly embarrassed by the actions that happened just a short while ago.  
   
_Smiling, Natalie stared at him for a moment before leaning in and giving him a kiss – which wasn’t returned on his part at all. Regardless, when she pulled away, that same smile was on her features as she opened the truck door and stepped out. “See you in class,” she said with a wink._


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After the events of last night, regret begins to take hold of Joe and the only thing he can do to amend things is to do a face-to-face apology. 

* * *

 

  
**POV:** Joe  
**Characters:**  Joe Merriweather,  _Natalie Jankoski (Italics), Waiter (Indented Italcs)_    
**Quote:**   “Why don’t I just take them out so you can get a better kick at them.”

* * *

 

* * *

With regret seeping into his conscience ever since Joe dropped Natalie off and returned to the station to deal with her unruly partner, Joe knew that deep down, despite enjoying the actions of last night, some sort of apology was needed.  It wasn’t necessarily that he had to apologize for all his actions - it was very apparent that she enjoyed the whole having sex in the back of a truck while he was in full uniform - but the thing he felt obligated to apologize for was his immaturity and misconduct when dealing with the situation. Not only was there the excess roughness on his end, but the using of the power that radiated from his uniform to get into her pants and the way the act was conducted -  there was no premeditated plan to have sex with someone in the back of his police truck while being on duty, especially if that someone was one of his students.

It didn’t take long before Joe turned onto the street he visited last night to drop off Natalie. The surrounding area was quite the familiar scene for Joe. Nicknamed ‘the college ward’ for the excessive amounts of students that rented houses in the surrounding area who caused a handful of issues for the docile people living in the area, Joe frequented the area when on patrol or for calls during the college breaks. So, surprisingly, Joe had yet to cross paths with Natalie during or prior to this semester.

For a moment, Joe’s eyes rested on the familiar house before switching back to the road, his eyes bouncing from parked car to parked car. Nervously running a hand through his damp hair, Joe eyed a spot on the shoulder of the road and pulled forward. Quickly trading in the view of the car cluttered road, Joe set his sights on the interior of his Jeep Wrangler, his eyes focusing on the blue colored numbers that read 11:26 a.m.

Letting out a deep sigh, he shifted in his seat – it was obvious, to him at least since he was the only person in the car, that the situation was a bit awkward despite him being a 47-year-old man who had a plethora of awkward situations under his belt.

For a few moments, Joe allowed the awkward silence to seep in and permeate the entire car. It was finally interrupted by a harsh bite on his own lip, forcing the coppery taste of blood to snap him back to reality. Stroking the back of his neck, Joe finally turned his attention to the house was once occupied with a driveway full of cars, but now was completely barren except a single white car.

Thrumming his hand along the sun-beaten surface of the steering wheel, Joe looked away, shaking his head, and gritting his teeth. “What am I even doing?” He muttered, the guilt from last night making an appearance and silently answering the question for him.

Bowing his head, Joe attempted to think of an acceptable reason to just start his car up and drive off, but the stubbornness that resided deep within him refused to let that happen.

“And what if she isn’t home then what? What if that car right there…” Joe pointed to the white Ford that stood idly in the driveway. “What if that isn’t hers?” He tried to rationalize with himself, despite his mind journeying back to when Natalie was holding her keys when speaking to him, a key engraved with the Ford emblem hanging from the lanyard.

The mental tug-of-war continued to rage on for a few more minutes. Every time an illogical thought was presented, it was quickly swept away by another so-called ‘logical’ reasoning.

Finally, slamming his palm onto the steering wheel in a fit of rising anger that was laced with annoyance and disappointment, Joe snatched his wallet from the center console and nearly ripped out the key from the ignition.  Flinging the door open as the words ‘fuck it’ rained down from his lips, Joe stepped out, his shoes finally connecting with the road while his skin erupted with a line of goosebumps as the warm sun landed on his cold body.

“Just get back in your car and drive away. There’s no need to be here. She…She is your student and you…You are her professor and there is absolutely  _ **no**_  reason for you to be here. You shouldn’t even know where she lives. Just get up and go, Joe. Get back in and leave.” His conscience screamed at him.

Pushing aside his thoughts along with his car door, Joe trudged forward until he approached the front door of the house. Taking a second to himself, he began to look around at his surroundings – at first, his sights landed on the flowers planted along the front of the house then switched to focus on the car parked just several feet away.

Setting his attention back to the door before him, Joe finally formed a fist and just as he was about to connect with the door, a noise from within the house forced him to stop. Standing there in a frozen state for a second, Joe looked at the white door for a moment before dropping his sights down to look at his feet, his relaxed fist falling back to his side.

Rubbing the nape of his neck, Joe scoffed at himself, almost embarrassed by his actions. It was as if he was a young boy, scared to knock on the front door of his crush’s house in fear of her father opening the door instead of his crush.

“You’re a grown ass man. Your balls have already dropped so there’s no need to grow a new pair. You’re already too far in, so, knock on the damn door, say what you need to say, apologize for what needs to be apologized for, and go on your way. It’s as simple as that,” his conscious spoke.

With a small rush of confidence, Joe lifted his head, shifted on his feet, and finally knocked on the door.

It felt like years, but after a few moments of listening intently to what was going on inside, the door finally opened, forcing Joe to take the slightest of steps back while greeting her with a smile.

_“Joe?” Natalie asked, running her hand up from the door knob to the center of the frame.  Looking over him, her eyes trailed from his drying hair down to his open button up that revealed small locks of black chest hair forcing her eyes to linger there for a moment too long. Clearing her voice, she looked past him, glancing over the cars parked on the street. “What are you doing here?” She asked, focusing back on him, this time her eyes locking onto the gun that was resting in its holster on his hip which was accompanied by his badge.  “Coming to arrest me or something?” She jokingly asked, before letting her hand drop back onto the door knob._

A boyish grin took hold of Joe’s lips as he shook his head and scoffed. “No.” He answered, stuffing his hands into his pockets and glancing into the house. “I’m not here ‘to arrest you or something’.” He teasingly quoted, his eyes shifting and narrowing in on the dark discoloration on her neck. Tilting his head up slightly, Joe swallowed hard, his eyes still locked on the hickey. “I came here to apologize.”

_Furrowing her brow and tilting her head to the side just slightly, Natalie took a second to process the situation. Twirling the hem of her shirt, she leaned against the door. “Apologize? For what?” She mused despite knowing the real reason. Running a hand along her neck, she watched as Joe’s eyes finally connected with hers. “Nevermind, don’t answer that.” Standing tall, she continued. “Look, professor, officer, Merriweather, Joe, or whatever floats your boat in this situation –.”_

“Joe is perfectly fine.” He confirmed, his face softening a little.

_Nodding, Natalie continued. “Joe, there is no need to apologize about last night. You don’t need to feel sorry for anything.” She assured, a smile spreading across her face before she continued. “We were both happy, both consensual, and obviously both in need of it too.”_

“You’re right, but —.” Joe started, only to be interrupted.

_“And don’t you dare say you have your regrets about it.”_

Pulling a hand from his pocket, Joe ran it along his stubble-filled face until he reached his lip where he proceeded to cover them before pulling on his lower one. “Don’t assume I have regrets because I don’t.” He scolded, lowering his hand. “But there are things I shouldn’t have done that I did.”

_“There are things both of us shouldn’t have done but ended up doing. I shouldn’t have been with Landon. I shouldn’t have let him drive drunk. I shouldn’t have taken him up on his offer for food, but look at that, I did and the night ended up better than how it was going to end up. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, but it is what it is, Joe. I’m not coming to you or calling you trying to apologize for anything and neither should you. After the day in your office, we both knew something was going to happen sooner or later. If anything, I’m the one who initiated the whole thing, not you.”_

Taking a step and leaning forward, Joe spoke. “First off, last time I checked we never exchanged numbers so even if I wanted to do this over the phone, I couldn’t – but I wouldn’t since that isn’t very manly of me to do, now is it? Secondly, I’m not saying you need to apologize for anything, that’s on me, not you. Thirdly, instead of discussing this whole thing on your front porch with the threat of your roommates coming home and seeing you talking to your professor, why don’t I take you to breakfast?”  Taking his keys from his pocket, Joe leaned away and took a few steps back. “Last night you did say you couldn’t say no to free food and since I’m offering, I expect a yes.” Joe smiled, his dimples making an appearance. “Plus, I don’t expect you do break my little old man heart.”

_“Oh, yeah, because going out to a place to eat is a safer option than letting my roommates see you here. Smart, Joe, very smart.” She said, almost taunting him as she retreated into her house, leaving the door open. “I’ll go as long as you don’t, in your words from last night during that very inappropriate pat-down, expect to get lucky.”_

Clasping his hands behind his back, Joe patiently waited for her to reappear. “I assure you I got very lucky last night.” He chuckled, taking a few steps forward and leaning into the open doorway, looking around at the contents of the house. “But don’t worry, I don’t expect anything out of this.” He said absentmindedly as he scanned the seemingly clean area. “Well, I expect you to accept my apology, but that’s all.”

Quickly leaning out of the doorway when she reappeared, Joe looked over her realizing she had changed into a different shirt, concealed his love bite, and grabbed a set of keys.

_Approaching him and shutting the door, forcing him to take a few steps away, allowing for some space to be set between them, Natalie locked up the house before turning around and smiling. “I already accept your apology.” She assured, patting his chest a few times._

* * *

The car ride from Natalie’s house to the nearest breakfast joint was anything but awkward. Surprisingly, the conversations were interesting and attention-grabbing while the questions she asked were simple and general – nothing too deep about his personal life.

Arriving at the nearest IHOP twenty minutes later, Joe parked closest to the building, shifting in his seat afterwards to look at her. Instead of immediately speaking, Joe just sat there, his eyes tracing along her features, returning yet again to her neck where the hickey he had given her was now camouflaged. “Got a little carried away when I did that.” Joe chuckled, finally mentioning something from last night while a smile formed on his lips, his tongue following behind, grazing against his lower lip.

_“Could say that for a lot of things, now couldn’t you?” Natalie teased, looking around at the spotless interior of the Jeep. “Now where’s the chase and how do I cut to it because I am one hungry girl for some IHOP.”_

Playfully shaking his head, Joe stepped out of the Jeep, walking around the passenger side, and opening the door. “You like to bust my balls, don’t you?” Standing beside the open door, Joe motioned for her to step out, shutting it once she did. “Why don’t I just take them out so you can get a better kick at them.” Joe murmured before winking and placing a hand on the small of her back, leading the both of them towards the front of the restaurant.

* * *

After settling down in their booth, the two of them read the menu while exchanging small talk, that is before Natalie questioned Joe about what happened to Landon back at the station.

Gripping the menu in his hand, an exasperated sigh came from Joe – not only did he not want to speak about his job when eating, he also wanted a single conversation where she wasn’t bringing up her god-forsaken ex.

Glancing up from the menu, Joe answered. “He was being unruly. You, of all people, should know that by now.” Joe eyed an older female waitress who was staring at their table.  “He would have gotten off easy if he didn’t act out, resulting in him getting those prods in his chest, but he should have known better and shouldn’t have let his temper get the best of him.” Bringing his eyes back to his menu as the woman began walking towards them, Joe continued. “Since he refused to take the FTS and a breathalyzer – which is his right – his blood was taken by the help of a warrant, his license has been revoked for a year and his truck was impounded, so, he will have to pay a hefty fine for that.” Joe shook his head, a string of laughter coming from him as he continued to scan the menu, his eyes quickly shifting to the older woman who stood next to their table.

        _Offering the patrons, a warm smile, the woman spoke. “Tell me, dear, what can I get you and your daughter to drink?” She asked, glancing from the female to the male, her eyes landing on the items resting on his hip. “Drinks are on the house, officer.” She added._

Astonished by the waiter’s assumption on their relationship, Joe nearly choked on his own spit, bringing a hand from the table to cover his mouth. Staring at Natalie while stifling his chuckles, he watched as her jaw dropped, a smile claiming her gaping mouth while her head shook in disappointment.

A moment passed before he dropped his hand, Joe offered the woman a smile before speaking. “My dear, she’s  ** _not_** my daughter, but we’ll have a couple of cokes.”

         _Embarrassingly covering her face, the waiter apologized for her statement before offering them Pepsi products instead_.

“I’ll have orange juice instead,” Joe replied, turning to Natalie who just nodded her head to the offer from the waiter. Waiting for the waiter to leave their side, Joe continued their previous conversation. “Pepsi tastes like ass, but anyway, that’s all I know about  ** _that_**  situation. As for the whole unruly thing, that started the moment he stood up from the curb and – apparently – all the way to the jail. See, if he didn’t do that, he wouldn’t currently have a first-degree misdemeanor, a newly created criminal record, a $1,000 fine, and 60 days in the county jail, but he did something stupid and now he has to deal with the punishments.”

_Resting her chin on her hand, Natalie listened intently to the rest of what Joe had to say before sitting tall once more.  “Should have listened to you. I don’t know why he was acting like such an ass. Well, I mean, you two aren’t exactly best friends or friends or even fond of each other, but still. Drunk or not, he knew exactly what he was doing.” Looking away from him, Natalie watched the cars that were passing down the street. “You really got under his skin, Joe.” She said almost as if she was disinterested in the topic now.  “But tell me, ‘daddy’, did you rough him up a bit when you went back?” Waggling her eyebrows, she chuckled at her own joke before going back to reading the menu._

Nearly cringing at the word ‘daddy’, Joe rolled his eyes.  He was never a supporter of the so-called ‘daddy kink’ and found it weird to be called the name. “First, don’t call me ‘daddy’, that shit is weird. I don’t like it, so, don’t call me that. Go ahead and call me ‘old man’ like you already are, but ‘daddy’? Nope, that’s crossing the line.” Joe eyed the woman who was returning with their drinks.

Clasping his hands onto his lap, Joe smiled for a moment before pulling his lips into his mouth in an attempt to conceal that same smile. “As for the roughing up Landon…” He paused, watching as the drinks were set down. “I don’t know, I might have. I can’t disclose that type of information.” 

_T_ _aking a mental note at Joe’s displeasure with the word ‘daddy’, Natalie silently shook her head. Humming a ‘mmm’ in response to both of his replies, Natalie glanced up to the waiter, smiling as she settled their drinks down. “Pleading the fifth for your own safety. Can’t incriminate yourself, gotcha.” She theorized._

         _“Now, what can I get you two fine people?” The waiter finally announced.  
_

* * *

After receiving their meals and chowing down on whatever they could stuff into their empty bellies, the two of them leaned against their booths, content and happy with their meals.

Of course, Joe was the one to break the silence. “Now for the reason I showed up to your house.” Gripping his glass in his hand, Joe brought the juice to his mouth, taking a big swig from it before placing it back down. “That…” He nodded towards her, hoping that she would get the message. “I shouldn’t have done that.” Bowing his head as he leaned over the table, Joe continued, lowering his voice to a whisper. “I also shouldn’t have pressed you down against the bed – placing my hands on you the way that I did was completely unnecessary. In addition to that, I shouldn’t have used the authority of my uniform for my own benefit, that was completely unprofessional, not to mention literally doing ‘it’ in my uniform as well was beyond unprofessional.” Looking down at the plates before him, Joe avoided eye contact for a moment. “Actually, everything I did last night was unprofessional and I should have known better, but the situation got the best of me and I apologize for that.”

_Feeling the waterfall of sincerity in Joe’s apology, Natalie felt almost sorry for him. The strong and knowledgeable man who sat before her was nothing more than a puddle of sorrow and emotions – not only did this increase her attraction towards him, but it exemplified how strong and knowledgeable he truly was._

_Placing a hand on top of his forearm, Natalie fixed her gaze onto him, locking eyes with his. “Joe, it’s okay.” Was all she could say before being interrupted by the waiter who removed the plates and left the check._

_Snaking her hand away from him so she could lean back against the booth, his hand gripped hers before she could fully pull away. Glancing down at her captured hand, she clenched her jaw, gazing up to Joe who had yet to remove her from his sights._

“I’m sorry, Natalie,” Joe repeated once more, before releasing her from his grip.

_Silently nodding, Natalie forced herself to look away from Joe._

Digging into his pocket, Joe removed his wallet and tossed a ten and a twenty on the table. In an attempt to lighten up the situation, Joe cracked a joke. “At least I know that I don’t have to buy you food to get lucky, but you know who is the lucky one today?” Joe scooted to the edge of the booth. “Our waiter who got a fifteen-dollar tip.”

 

 


	9. Chapter 9

* * *

 

  
**POV:** Joe  
 **Characters:** Joe Merriweather, Natalie  
 **Quote:**  “Like I said, I’m three steps ahead of you in thirty different directions, Naïve little Natalie.”

* * *

 

* * *

 

The drive from the breakfast joint back to the college ward was quite peaceful. Joe and Natalie occupied the Jeep enjoying each other’s presence, even if it was a silent one. The weight that rested on Joe’s shoulders for the last 24-hours was lifted just slightly after the heart-filled apology just some time ago.  

_Looking out the window, Natalie bounced her sights from house to house, tree to tree, and car to car. The atmosphere of the car was welcoming and warm, yet awkward and strained. It wasn’t that Joe was causing the situation to be awkward and strained, in fact, he was the only reason as to why it was welcoming and warm – the welcoming smiles, the conversations that were nothing more than small talk, the hesitation of his hand when he placed his on hers for a moment before changing the radio. Instead, she was the culprit of the awkwardness, after all, there were only so many questions she could ask without getting too deep into his personal life – something she wanted to dive straight into. This man who sat just feet from her, he was interesting, friendly, older, and was damn attractive, but he was still a complete mystery to her._

_The soft sound of music filtered throughout the car – the radio nothing more than a filler for the silence that engulfed the two. Turning her attention away from the familiar surroundings, Natalie watched at the man who sat beside her focused on the road ahead – one hand resting on the steering wheel, the other resting along the center counsel, his hand grazing his pants while his teeth picked at the skin on his bottom lip. Following in his actions, Natalie absentmindedly bit down on her skin of her lip, her eyes trailing his features yet again, returning to the small gap between his eyes and black aviators. For a moment, she watched as his eyelashes flickered beneath the glass before turning back to face the road._

From his peripheral vision, it was quite obvious that his younger counterpart was gawking over him – well, maybe not gawking, but examining him as if he was some sort of specimen under a microscope.  Adjusting his sights just slightly so he could get a better look at her without turning his head too much, Joe watched as she looked away and out towards the road.

Chuckling just slightly, Joe spoke. “You know, they say a picture is worth a thousand words, so, instead of being the little creeper you’re being right now, why don’t you just take a picture instead?” Joe teased, waggling his eyebrows beneath his glasses as he turned his head fully to take in the sight of his student sitting next to him and at that moment, it clicked. Despite being an adult, she was still his student as of right now.

Reluctantly looking away and towards the road again, Joe shook his head slightly. “Scratch that, don’t do that.” He addressed, acknowledging the situation he was in. “Yeah, don’t do that.” He repeated yet again, a hand coming up and running along his cheek. “It could get the both of us in some sort of trouble, well, not really, but you know what I mean.”

Turning into her subdivision, Joe bared his teeth for a second as he thought for a moment. “Actually, let me just say this now.” Joe removed his glasses. “Look at me.” He coaxed before continuing.

_Running her tongue along her teeth, Natalie took a moment before turning to face him. “Okay, I’m looking.” She stated, her body shifting in the seat.  Yet again, another sliver of silence accompanied the two as they just stared at each other for a moment – their eyes locking as usual and that famous close-lipped smile claiming his lips, those deep dimples making yet another appearance. Failing to conceal her smile any longer, a scoff escaped her lips as she tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. “Whatcha gotta tell me, officer?”_

With his grin turning into a smile, Joe slowly ran his tongue along his bottom lip before speaking. “Being a smartass, aren’t we?” Joe questioned, his hand slipping down from the center console, making its way towards her almost bare thigh. “Well, I have to tell you this.” Snaking his warm hand along her cold thigh, Joe broke eye contact and quickly glanced to the road before shifting back, looking down at his hand and then back up to her – her eyes wide and her lips parting just slightly while a wave of goosebumps spread out across her skin.

Stopping, his hand rested on her inner thigh, his fingers connecting with the smooth surface of her phone. “If you’re with me, no matter where we are at, I don’t care if it’s in this car, in the classroom, in my office, or at each other’s houses – well, I don’t plan on showing up at your house unless it is empty. I want you to know that you’re…” In a quick motion, Joe grabbed her phone out from between her thighs and quickly pulled away.

_Naturally, Natalie reached out, grabbing Joe’s wrist to stop him from pulling away, but in a quick motion, he pulled away from her, bringing her phone to his body. “Really, Joe?” She sneered, reaching out yet again, trying to retrieve her possession. “Give me it back right now.”_

With both hands off the wheel, Joe clutched her phone in one while pushing away her hands with the other. “First off, my Jeep, my rules, so, sit your pretty little ass in that seat and listen to what I have to say before I stop this car.” With that, Natalie reluctantly sat back in her seat, her arms crossing over her chest and a scowl claiming her features. “Perfect.” Joe jested, placing a hand back on the steering wheel. “Now, listen to me. I want you to know that while you’re with me, these.” He shook the phone in the air. “These aren’t allowed.” Shifting a little, he tucked the phone into his right pocket, Joe continued. “I mean, they are, but I don’t want you sneaking any pictures to show your little friends or texting something stupid.”

_Pressing her lips together and rolling her eyes, Natalie knew that deep down whatever Joe was saying, had some sort of point to it. Despite the so-called ‘virgin territory’ not being so virgin anymore, there were still aspects that needed to be addressed – in this case, the phone being one of them. It took a moment before Natalie addressed him, but oh she addressed him all right. “I scare you, don’t I?” She asked yet another thing that needed to be addressed. “You think I’m stupid enough to tell **and** apparently show people that I’m with my professor who happened to.” Shrugging, she fished for the right words. “I don’t know, fuck me in the back of his truck **while** on duty and **after** arresting my ex-boyfriend.” Natalie uncrossed her arms, realizing that it was now her time to toy with him. “You think I’m that stupid, don’t you?” She questioned, adjusting herself so she was now closer to him and slightly leaning on the center console. “It’s a shame, now isn’t it? Come on, Joe, you should know better.” She shook her head with false disappointment. “You should know better.” She repeated, watching as he came alive with a stern reaction – his jaw settled, his eyebrows furrowed, and his hand gripping the steering wheel as he continued to stare before him._

_Tapping her tongue against the roof of her mouth, a line of ‘tisks’ scolded him. “You see, you wouldn’t have to be scared if you thought with your actual head instead of the one between your legs, but you made your bed, now lie in it?”  She teased, expecting some sort of reaction out of him at the least._

Exhaling deeply, Joe snapped his head in her direction. “Same goes for you, young lady. Don’t you dare forget that **_you_** were the one who came onto me the first time around. Yes, I admit that I was unprofessional, but look at where we are now.” Looking away, Joe set his jaw once more as a hand ran through his hair. “If you’re going to act immature and throw that in my face, you’re more than welcomed to cut this off…” Pointing from himself to Natalie and then back to himself, Joe continued. “And return to our platonic relationship.”

_An unwarranted smile that was accompanied by an unwarranted laugh filled the cab of the Jeep. “Tell me this, Joe.” Quickly, Natalie leaned forward, her lips just mere inches from Joe’s ear. “Tell me, do I make you nervous? Knowing how much power I possess over you in a situation like this? Not just the situation right now, but the situation as a whole.”_

Refusing to pull away at the intimidate space the two of them were now sharing, Joe swallowed hard and nodded. “Do you want the professional answer or the personal answer?” Joe nearly hissed as he turned the car onto her street.

_“Both.” She whispered._

“Good because it’s the same answer either way.” Joe advised before continuing. “The answer to your question is yes and I’m not afraid to admit it.”

_With her eyes on the prize – the prize being her phone that was tucked away in his pocket -, Natalie placed her hand on his forearm, patting it twice before whispering again. “Why?” She asked, her fingers toying with his as he gently latched onto one of her own._

Going quiet for a minute, Joe pondered his thoughts and the answer to her question. “Well, why wouldn’t I be nervous?” Joe put to question, but continued without offering her sufficient time to answer. “You’re probably not going to like what I have to say, but ask a question and you shall receive an answer. Anyways, with the type of job I have, it’s almost a duty to look at all the factors of a situation. I’m always, I don’t know, three steps ahead of you in about thirty different directions, basically overthinking the situation and its outcomes. So, trust me, I’ve thought about most of the outcomes and surprise, surprise, the negatives outweigh the positives. That right there, that’s one reason why I’m nervous, but you want to know the other ones?” Joe shifted away slightly, realizing that her hand had snaked its way towards his waist, resting just above his belt. “If you haven’t noticed, you’re my student and I’ve never done anything more than teach a student, so, all this is very dangerous since it’s a possibility that you can tell someone about this little escapade. In addition to that, the whole, you know, age thing is a **_big_** thing to consider. A 47-year-old man with a, what…” Joe looked over her for a moment. “A woman who is no older than twenty-three or twenty-four.”

_Fiddling with his button up, Natalie pulled away once Joe started speaking. Despite pulling away, she was still leaning over the center console, her brow furrowing as he explained himself._

_“Understandable.” Was the only thing she managed to say before sinking her hand lower into his lap. “But you have to understand, Joe, this 23-year-old isn’t going to go out and blab.” The once smooth terrain was replaced by the slight roughness of the leather pieces that rested on his right hip before slipping back onto the smoothness of his slacks. “I assure you that.” Her hand resting on his upper thigh where her phone was resting just below her palm._

Completely ignoring the wandering hand, Joe glanced between the unoccupied house and over to Natalie. “One last thing.” Joe stated, a smile pulling at his lips as he looked at her, knowing she was unaware of what was to come. Suddenly, Joe slammed on the brakes, forcing the car to come to a complete stop in the middle of the street and forcing Natalie’s body to go flying forward – the seatbelt catching her before she slammed her head on the dashboard. “You’re also a big liability to me.” Joe informed, abruptly pulling the Jeep into her driveway, parking, taking his keys out, and then abruptly getting out.

Walking around the front of the car and opening the passenger side door, Joe leaned against the door. “Like I said, I’m three steps ahead of you in thirty different directions, Naïve little Natalie.” Joe said, nearly disparaging her. “Plus, you should know better than to try and distract a driver while they are driving.” Shaking a finger in her direction, Joe stepped forward, helping the annoyed and aggravated woman out of the Jeep.

_“Fucking asshole.” Natalie muttered to herself as she rubbed the back of her neck. Pushing his hands away, she immediately headed for the door._

“Being rough and talking dirty to me? Keep it up, Naïve little Natalie, I happen to love that shit.” Joe teasingly whispered, shutting the door, and following her up to the house.

Stuffing his hands into his pockets, Joe ran his finger along the smooth surface of her phone yet again. “Oh, come on.” Joe pleaded in annoyance. “You really thought I was going to fall for that little baiting?” He questioned. “You know, I spoke to an academy once and told them you have to watch the hands of the person because the moment you lose track of their hands, you can lose your life. So, if you think I’m not tracking your hands, you’re not thinking right.”

_Fiddling with her keys until the door was unlocked, Natalie glanced over her shoulder before walking inside. “I was hoping you would, but my hopes were too high, I’m guessing.” She said in annoyance as she disappeared into the house just like she had done just a few hours ago. “If you promise not to be an asshole or snoop around, you can come in.”_

Pulling her phone out of his pocket after feeling the vibration, Joe stared at the notification before looking at the time – 1:00 P.M.

“Look, I get paid to be nosey at my job. You telling me not to be nosey is like me telling a robber not to rob when he’s in mid-robbery. It just doesn’t work like that.” Joe responded, tucking the phone back into his pocket as he took his first official and warranted step into the house.

_“You know, Joe, you can be a real smart ass when the time is right. I would have never guessed Mr. Merriweather was a certified smart ass. That right there, that never crossed my mind.” Natalie called out from somewhere within the house, presumably her room or the bathroom._

Slowly shutting the door behind him and locking it, Joe ventured further into the house, investigating the contents within.  “I’m a jack-of-all-trades, I suppose.” He retorted, reaching out, and picking up a piece of paper from the countertop. It didn’t take long before he realized that it was the assignment he handed out a few days prior. “Hey, make sure you do this.” Joe waved the paper in the air despite Natalie still being out of sight. “Just because I give you special privileges out of the classroom doesn’t mean I’ll give you special privileges within it.” Joe warned, tossing the paper back onto the counter, and looking down the hallway where she disappeared down.

_“No special privileges in class?” Natalie called out, appearing out from a room, laughing along the way. “ **Really** , Joe? What was up with that pat-down in class?  No privileges, my ass.” She rolled her eyes before disappearing yet again._

Instead of responding, Joe made his way to the open door where Natalie was peeking in and out of. “What are you even doing in here?” Joe asked, pulling his glasses out from his pocket and placing them on as he glanced into the cluttered room that had tools and parts to an unconstructed desk laying all around the room.

_“Well, you see, Landon was supposed to come over and build this desk for my stupid roommate, but since he’s not here because of a certain someone, I’m stuck trying to construct the damn thing myself until she gets back, which is supposed to be at I don’t know o’clock since you still have my phone and she was supposed to call me beforehand. Since I have nothing better to do besides that exciting little assignment you assigned, I was working on this before you came here and even with my whiplashed concussion you just gave me, I want to finish it, so, it’s probably best if you left anyways.”_

Looking over the objects before settling his sights on Natalie, Joe chuckled. “Next time sit in your seat properly and keep your hands to yourself and you won’t have to worry about getting whiplash.” Pushing himself away from the threshold of the door, Joe stood next to her, his hand rubbing the back of his neck as he looked over the pieces yet again. “Being the jack-of-all-trades, I’m sure I could build this thing in twenty minutes, tops. It’s an easy build. Just have to put some things in some other things and screw some things together and you’re set.”

_Gazing up at him, Natalie was taken back by his indirect offer. “Well…” She stepped away, her hands up in the air. “Get to work Mr. Handyman.” She jokingly ordered, patting his back twice._

* * *

 

As expected, the build was quite easy to construct. Tossing a rag onto the newly constructed desk, Joe leaned back in the office chair, running a hand over the surface of the desk. “Easy peasy lemon squeezy.” He whispered to himself, digging his hand into his pocket and retrieving her phone yet again.  

Glancing at the time before tossing it onto the desk, Joe swiveled around in his seat, realizing that Natalie was propped up against the door frame, a bottle of water in her hand.

_“Done?” Natalie asked, looking past him, and examining the desk. “Thanks, Joe. I appreciate it.” She pushed herself away from the door and approached him, offering him the bottle.”_

“Told you I’m a jack-of-all-trades.” Joe teased, reaching forward, and grabbing the bottle.

_“You really are. Certified handyman in my book and that’s in more than one way.” Natalie laughed, looking back at him, and keeping a firm grip on the bottle. “No one’s called, I assume.” Natalie asked, referring to her phone that was now on the table._

Hesitating, Joe exchanged a few glances with her before resting his sights on the water bottle. Humming a ‘mm hmm’ as a reply, Joe fastened his grip on the bottle and tugged it forward, the body on the of Natalie following behind. “Texts, but no calls.”

_With the tension between the two of them still high, the intense session of eye contact and silence only heightened the uneasiness. Knowing that Joe wouldn’t be the one to initiate anything due to his regretful nature, and with her thirst for him, Natalie, in a quick motion, closed the gap between the two of them. Placing her free hand on his shoulder, Natalie swung a leg around Joe – his hand guiding her until her body straddled his lap._

_Almost simultaneously, the grips they had on the bottle loosened until Joe tossed the bottle onto the bed. Getting to work on the buttons of his shirt, Natalie quickly released three buttons from their restraints before Joe tilted her head up so she could look at him. Smiles claimed both of their faces as their bodies remained pressed together._

_Natalie arched slightly as a trail of warmth spread up her back to her neck where Joe’s idle hand rested – his fingers entangling themselves with her hair._

_Watching as he ran his tongue along his bottom tip, Natalie snaked her hand down his chest while the other wrapped around his neck, fiddling with the ends of his hair. With this, a throaty groan came from Joe as he leaned forward, his lips coming close to hers, but stopping just inches away._

In a split second, Joe’s free hand slipped beneath her and he lifted both their bodies from the chair. Taking a step towards the bed, he gently placed her body down, hovering over her. His hand slipping out from under her and removing her hands from around his neck. Regardless if Joe wanted to reenact the scenario from last night, he couldn’t.

Slowly pulling away, Joe straightened up and smoothed out his shirt. “My shift starts in an hour, I can’t.” He explained, picking up the water bottle from the bed and taking a few steps away from the visibly distraught Natalie. “While I’m gone, get that assignment, I would hate to punish you again.”


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Last class before Spring Break and someone decides to get handsy.

* * *

 

  
 **POV:** Joe  
 **Characters:** Joe Merriweather, Natalie, ~~Ryan~~    
 **Quote:**  “Maybe that’s the point of my so-called ‘shitty punishments’ – make you want more.” 

* * *

 

* * *

 

Soaking in the silence of the room, Joe focused his attention on the whiteboard before him as he cleared away the incomprehensible black scribbles that resembled some sort of word and the poorly drawn diagrams that were all produced mid-lecture as a way to keep his own thoughts and talking points flowing.  
   
The tranquility was disrupted just minutes later as the sound of someone forcefully gripping the door handle pulled Joe from his thoughts.  Glancing over his shoulder and looking through his black-rimmed glasses, he watched as the door creaked open and  _she_ entered.  
   
Scoffing lightly, Joe returned his attention to the board and resumed his cleaning. “Unusual for you to be this early, didn’t feel like stumbling in here just before class was set to start?” He croaked, listening as she walked to the last set of tables, placing her belongings down on the wooden surface.  
   
 _Leaning against the table, Natalie eyed the man dressed in black as he jokingly attempted to strike up a conversation. “_ _Since no one shows up to class the day before Spring Break, my last class got out earlier than expected and now I’m here with my favorite professor.” A laugh accompanying her sarcastic remark._

 _  
_ “Obviously, some people show up since you’re here and so am I, along with most professors and responsible students.” Joe pointed out, tossing the rag onto the first row of tables. “Aww, that’s really sweet of you to say. I’m really your favorite professor?” Joe asked in a cheerful tone as he turned to face her, placing a hand over his heart before making his way back to his desk, his hand falling back to his side. “See, that’s something I would say if you weren’t being a sarcastic little shit right now.” He deadpanned.  
   
 _“How dare you accuse me of being a ‘little shit’.” Digging into her bag, she looked from Joe to her bag and then back to Joe who was unbuttoning the button to his suit jacket before settling down into his chair. “How can you not be my favorite professor?” She questioned, taking a paper from her bag and snaking her way through the chairs until she stood on his side of the desk. “Mr. Jack-of-all-trades, you help me in and out of class, whether that be in a professional manner or not.” She quipped, holding out the assignment to him as a grin claimed her features.  
   
_Peeling his glasses away from his face, Joe rubbed his eyes until streaks of green and orange claimed his vision. Lecturing from early in the morning until now made Joe extremely tired and if it wasn’t apparent in his raspier than normal voice, it was surely apparent in his tired face.  
   
“Well, when you put it that way, I guess you have a very valid point.” He admitted, dropping his hand onto his lap and taking a moment to himself before opening his eyes. “What’s this?” Joe asked, swiveling around to face her, placing his glasses back on.  
   
 _“Age catching up with you today?” Natalie jested, glancing at him and smirking. “It’s that paper you wanted due before the break.” She flipped through the stapled pieces of paper before motioning for him to take them. “You forget about it or something? Don’t tell me your memory is fading too.”  
   
_Peering up at her, Joe gave her a stern look before adjusting his glasses. “Check your attitude, Natalie.” Joe warned, his attention focused on the door after hearing the handle rattle. “You going to do the same thing you did three days ago?” He wondered, turning his attention back to her after a moment. “You know, keep that firm grip and then straddle me?”  
   
 _With a cheeky grin and a raised eyebrow, Natalie shook her head as Joe reached out and gripped the paper. “Grumpy, too.” She muttered, tossing a glance over her shoulder before taking a step forward and standing almost directly between his opened legs. “I would say I like to keep things professional in this type of setting, but if I did, that would be a straight up lie since we both know what happened in your office just a few weeks ago.”  
   
_Leaning back in his seat to add space between them, he easily pulled the paper from her hands. “You’re playing a dangerous game and this isn’t the place to play it.” Joe cautioned, his sights switching between her and the door.  
   
 _“You should learn to take your own advice, Joe.” She asserted, lingering between his outstretched legs before taking a step back.  
   
_With a sudden change in his demeanor, Joe scoffed while sliding back in the seat of his chair to sit properly. “Is that so?” He questioned, sarcasm claiming his tone as he swiveled away and pulled himself to his desk. “You might be right, I should take my own advice and so should you.” He added, looking through the stapled papers, skimming through the words. “I should know better considering I’m far older and far wiser than you. Take my advice and listen to your elders, little one.” Joe whispered, speaking more to himself than to her.   
   
 _“Then you should be wise enough to quit with that ‘punishment’ bullshit.” Natalie sat on the edge of his desk, arms crossing over her chest. “Doesn’t work. Doesn’t scare me either. Must be too naive.” She explained, staring at him while his eyes scanned the paper. “I don’t understand how you’re ‘punishment’ is a punishment. I mean, shouldn’t punishing someone act as a deterrence to make them not do that certain thing again?”_

 _Pushing herself off the desk, Natalie turned around, leaning down slightly, and pretending to read along with Joe. “If so, your shitty punishments do the complete opposite.”  
   
_Removing his glasses, Joe bit down on one of the tips before lowering the paper. Tilting his head to look up at her, he maintained eye contact as a moment of silence was shared. “Maybe that’s the point of my ‘shitty punishments’ – make you want more.”  
   
 _Slightly shocked by his response, Natalie raised her brows. “Well, if that’s the case, I hope you know that two can play that game.” Turning her attention back to the paper, Natalie rested her hand on the edge of the desk. “You might want to pretend you’re reading over that paper just in case anyone walks in. Wouldn’t want them to suspect anything.” Smirking, she watched as he placed his black-rimmed glasses back on and continued to skim over the paper, a grin pulling at the corner of his mouth.  
   
With her hand falling from the desk and landing on his knee, she slowly began to move her hand up his thigh. “Stay quiet.” Natalie warned, laughing to herself since this was once a warning Joe gave to her.  
   
Her hand continued to slowly trail up his thigh until it reached his belt. Feeling as Joe raised his hips just slightly, Natalie glanced over to him, her eyes focusing on his face as her hand moved across the front of his slacks. Impressed by his lack of emotion, she studied his features for a second before turning her attention to his belt. Instead of going for her belt, her fingers latched onto the zipper of his pants. “How are you enjoying that paper, professor?” She asked, her question nothing more than an innuendo.   
   
_Flipping the page, Joe furrowed his brow. “This paper? It gets the point across, but it’s nothing special at all.” Joe answered, his voice slightly huskier than usual.  
   
 _“Aw, well isn’t that just a damn shame.” She teased, slowly pulling the zipper down until it reached the end of its tracks._  
   
Moments later, a figure appeared on opposite side of the door, forcing Joe to look away from the paper. “Stop.” He warned, but his warning came too late.

_Suddenly, Natalie froze as the door swung open and a student entered. A rush of adrenaline coursed through her veins at the thrill of almost being caught._ _Relaxing moments later, she began to toy with the opening, her fingers grazing across the fabric underneath as she glanced up to the student, greeting him with a nod and a friendly smile. “You do the paper?” She questioned, slipping her hand into the opening and looking over to Joe who was still feigning concentration on the paper clenched in his hands._

_  
_ ·         _“Shit. That was due this week? The day before Spring Break?” Ryan worried, oblivious to what was happening between the professor and student just a handful of feet away._

 _  
_Entering the conversation just as Natalie was entering through his boxers, Joe shifted forward in his seat – any and all skin coming in contact now.  
   
Waving the paper in the air, Joe stared at Ryan who was settling his things on the desk. “It sure is.” Joe answered, a small groan escaping his lips afterwards as the warmth of her hand wrapped around him. Clearing his throat as a cover up, the flustered professor continued. “But don’t worry about it. I have a strong feeling not everyone will be coming.” Joe rested his sights on Natalie, his eyes widening as some sort of non-verbal warning.  
   
Slipping his hand beneath the desk, he unwrapped her hand from his growing erection and pulled her out from his slacks, quickly adjusting himself and zipping back up, shifting in his seat. “Don’t sweat it, Ryan. You can bring it in after the Break, pal.”  
   
 _Natalie tsked in annoyance. “So I did all this work and you’re just now telling us that it doesn’t have to be completed until after Spring Break?” Natalie asked, standing tall and backing away from Joe. “I should at least get a few points extra credit for that then.” She said as a joke as she began to walk out from behind the desk._  
   
Taking a few deep breaths to calm himself, Joe eyed Natalie, his eyes following her until she sat down in the back row of tables. “Don’t worry, missy.” Joe began, standing up and removing his jacket – painstakingly slow, the way he always did it when around her. “The paper, it was pretty good. Like I said, nothing really special, but you got the point across and did a good job. From what I was able to read, I enjoyed it so far.”  
 

* * *

  
    
As expected, most of the students failed to attend class, resulting in Joe cutting the lecture short and going on a tangent of random stories, viewings of funny dashcam videos, and pointless class discussions.  
   
Leaning against the podium, Joe spotted Natalie messing around with her phone – the desktops offering no protection despite her thinking otherwise.  
   
“Before I decide to dismiss class early – and yes, I said early - so you all can go on your week binge of sinning, drinking, and whatever else you all do during the break, I have a story that serves as a stern warning.” Joe began to roll up his sleeves, walking around the podium. “Miss Jankoski, your attention would be much appreciated for this story, since you might be unaware of what happened to your friend over the weekend.” He shot her a stern glare, before pacing away, dipping his head as he smiled to himself. 

“So, over the weekend, our beloved friend, Landon, decided to make the shitty decision to drink and drive. Obviously, that didn’t work out in his favor because low and behold, I was the officer who pulled him over - the initial infraction was for speeding. So, when pulling him over, I did the usual things you all see on TV: leave my fingerprints on the tail light, approach him, strike up a conversation, ask for all the stuff I need, peer into the truck – nice truck by the way – to see if anyone else was in it, which there was – a female –, you know, all that good stuff. Anyways, skipping over all that boring stuff and getting to the good stuff, Landon decided to get a bit belligerent when I was frisking his friend and apparently that liquid courage he had stored up decided to make a grand appearance.” Stuffing his hands into his pockets, Joe paced before the class. “Initially, I sat him down on the curb with no cuffs since I know the kid and assumed that he wouldn’t try anything stupid, but we all know the first three letters of ‘assumed’ and what they spell out – a.s.s.” He scoffed to himself before continuing. “Mid-frisk and with my back towards him, Landon stood up from the curb and in a threatening manner, approached me and the female passenger.” Joe reached the podium and leaned his side against it. “I strongly suggest you guys  ** _never ever_** do what Landon did because you will get the same result, something like a deployed taser and your body laying flat on the ground. I really didn’t want to do it, but he left me no other choice.”

The room erupted in gasps, scoffs, and snickers – Joe silent as he maintained eye contact with an embarrassed and disappointed Natalie.  
   
Quieting the class down, Joe finished. “Landon is now in the jail for the next couple of weeks and managed to create a whole new portfolio – a criminal record. In conclusion, there are two points to this story. One is that just because you are my student, you **_do not_** get special privileges when it comes to breaking the law and disobeying what I, or any other officer, says. The second is that you are all enrolled in criminal justice and should know better, so, if you hang out with anyone like Landon, I suggest you find some better friends.”

Drumming his hands on the podium, Joe returned to his desk. “With that being said, if you do happen to get into any trouble, make sure you tell us your story when we come back. With that being said, have a great break.”


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After discussing his failing marriage, Joe and Dustin get dispatched to a house party for the second time

* * *

   
 **POV:** Joe  
 **Characters:** Joe Merriweather, _Dustin Ayers_ , **Ryan** , ~~Natalie~~  
 **Quote:**   “Buck up and fuck?” 

* * *

 

* * *

 

_“I don’t know how you do it, Merriweather, I really don’t.” Dustin blurted through the silence. The man who was speaking was Dustin Ayers, a long-time friend, and colleague of Joe’s._ _“Doesn’t it burn you out? Don’t you get sick and tired of it?” Dustin questioned as his sights traveled up from the coffee cup and over to his partner who was resting against the counter with his arms crossed over his chest and his attention focusing on the only two parked vehicles outside the gas station._

For a moment, silence filled in as an answer to the question as Joe continued to stay in his reverie – his thoughts elsewhere while exhaustion quickly began to seep in. It may have been nine days since Joe took a break from teaching, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t still continuing to fulfill his obligations to his students.

_With a lack of an answer, Dustin snapped his fingers in Joe’s face in an effort to grab his attention. “You there, partner, or are you really starting to burn out on me right here and now?” He joked, returning to his coffee, and pouring in more creamer than he probably needed to._

Shaking out the cobwebs, Joe absently pushed himself away from the counter, finally pouring coffee into his silver thermos. “You’re going to have to explain what ‘it’ is because I don’t know what you’re talking about.” He muttered, uninterested with where the conversation as fatigue began to set in.

_“You can be a real smartass, I hope you know that, Merriweather…I hope you know that.” He jested before finally taking a small sip from his cup. “But you know, the whole teaching and policing thing, doesn’t get a bit overwhelming at times? I mean, shit, if I was in your shoes with what’s going on in your personal life right now, I would be down for the count.”_

_Discarding the trash, Dustin took his turn leaning_ _against the counter while bringing the cup back up to his lips. “The whole two professions thing. I mean, you have two jobs that deal with what may be the most dangerous species on this planet – the human species – and having to deal with that issue that involves, probably the most apex predator out of that species – which is women.” There was a small pause as he took another sip and laughed to himself. “You are just something else, my man, dealing with all **this** bullshit, **that** bullshit, and your **own** bullshit.”_

With a line of strained, yet somewhat genuine chuckles falling from his lips, Joe shook his head as he glanced over to Dustin. “It’s safe to say that I’m a smartass that is capable of dealing with mass amounts of bullshit, I guess.” He deadpanned, which only added to his scathing sarcasm.

Motioning for Dustin to follow, Joe began walking towards the front of the store. “No, but on a semi-serious note, it does get overwhelming at times, but I don’t know which takes the gold for being most overwhelming. Yeah, we’re out here protecting and serving the community while risking our lives for people we don’t even know and who may, in fact, not even like us, but let me tell you this: teaching those who might one day replace the both of us, that’s something else.”  Giving the cashier a friendly nod and tipping his thermos from brow level as a sort of homage, Joe opened the door and stepped outside.

 _“Aye, Jimmy, thanks for the complimentary coffee.” Dustin cheerfully called out, as he neared the exit. “We’ll be back tomorrow night, so, make sure you brew up another pot.” Stepping up his pace and catching up to Joe, Dustin joined his partner outside and resumed the conversation. “What about Claire?_ ”

“What about her?”Joe snapped, annoyance flashing in his eyes. 

_“Well, how are you two doing or not doing?” Dustin questioned, stepping up beside his cruiser and sitting against the hood. “I see you aren’t wearing that wedding band anymore. About time, if you ask me.”_

Joe was glad he was in front of Dustin still, his back not showing the pained wince on his face as his failed marriage was brought up. It wasn’t that the topic was hard to speak about, well, it was, but it was the fact that Joe couldn’t disclose everything without having more questions arise and his ego cut down. 

With a sigh escaping his lips, Joe placed his thermos on the hood of his truck and turned around, leaning against it too, letting his hands rest on his equipment belt.

He winced again, running a hand across his cheek as he looked at his surroundings, Joe finally responded. “You’re right, I took it off because things have officially come to an end for Claire and me. Don’t get me wrong, I kept it on for as long as I possibly could, hoping that she would come back, but it never happened, and she wants nothing to do with me. The papers are being finalized sometime this month.” Letting his hand drop, Joe glanced at his ringless finger. “Last time Claire and I had a solid conversation was a few months back when she was packing up her things and last I heard from friends and family is that she’s living with someone in the next town over. I don’t know who and I don’t really want to at this point. The only thing I can do is speculate.” Joe paused, gliding his tongue across his bottom lip before tearing away a piece of skin. Shifting uncomfortably, Joe took a second to himself. “And that right there, tears at my heart, more than I would like it to.” He shook his head, disappointed in himself and the actions of his soon-to-be ex-wife. “But yeah, I can only assume that she’s doing fine. I mean, come on, she has to be, right?” Joe asked, directing the question to himself. “She has to be.” He whispered, zoning out.

_Humming as a response, Dustin sipped from his cup yet again, attempting to give himself some time to think about the situation and what else he should say._

_“Been there, done that, so, I know it isn’t an easy thing to do, but tell me, Joe, how are you really doing? How are you really handling this? And don’t lie because I’m going to know.” Dustin offered a weak scoff at the end in an effort to lighten up the situation._

“We got together when I was thirty and then married when I was thirty-four, so, our marriage lasted sixteen or so years. I’m not going to lie and say it’s great when it’s not, but I’m actually doing fine. In all honesty, this whole thing was bound to happen since we were having too many issues. Not to place the blame on her or anything since most of it is my fault, but I think one of the bigger issues she and I were having was the fact that she —.”

Interrupted by the sound of the radio crackling to life, Joe returned to reality. Warily, Joe looked at Dustin, seeing the fleeting sadness and pity in his eyes.

It was the noise disturbance call that had come over the radio, and Joe threw his head back, letting out an annoyed sigh, as he realized that it was the same house they visited earlier for the same exact reason.

_“Well, this was a nice little therapy session before heading back to work.“ Walking around his car, Dustin began to ramble. "You know, I understand it’s Spring Break and all, but come on, it’s one in the morning and these kids are still partying. Like really? Come on. We warned them just, what…” Dustin glanced down at his watch. “Two, maybe three hours ago to keep quiet and they are still going. Not to mention that you know the host of this party.” Dustin shook his head and ‘tsked’. “I mean, shit, if I was that Ryan kid and I saw my professor come knocking on my door, I would sober up right away, no matter how old I was. That’s like double the embarrassment right there. Don’t get me wrong, you can be one of the nicest people around, but when you have to be, you can also be one of the sternest and scariest.” Opening the driver side door, Dustin looked over at Joe who was already sitting in his truck. "One last thing before our session expires - best advice I can give you is to buck up and go fuck someone else. After all, they do say the best way to get over someone is to get under someone else and I, for one, can attest to that.”_

“Buck up and fuck?” Joe asked, smirking.

_“Buck up and fuck.” Dustin repeated, laughing as he finally sat down in his cruiser._

* * *

 

The party was still going strong when the officers returned to the offending house.

Flashing the blue lights once and bringing the siren to life, the revelers who were lounging around the front yard scattered like mice, either running back into the dwelling or into the cover of darkness.

Parking and stepping out of his truck, Joe strolled up to Dustin’s cruiser and lingered beside it, waiting for his partner to exit the vehicle.

_“You know, back in my day, when the cops showed up to a party we tried our best not to cause any more disturbances because for one, even though we were immature little shits that loved to get piss drunk, we were still somewhat courteous of the old people around us. In the town I lived in, the copper stoppers weren’t the ones who dished out the punishments. You know what they would do? They’d drag your ass back home and let your parents deal out the punishments.” Dustin chuckled, shifting on his feet. “Let me tell you, after the second or third 'punishment’, I learned my lesson.” Reliving a part of his teenage years, he stepped up next to Joe, following his line of sight and staring at the house._

“'Back in my day.’ You talk like you’re some old man when you’re only thirty-nine. If anyone should be talking like an old man, it’s me.” Joe scoffed, side-eyeing his younger counterpart before walking away.

Feeling vibrating thump of the bass and hearing the occasional burst of raucous laughter filter out of the house, Joe and Dustin walked in sync up to the door, exchanging a quick glance. 

_“Hell, the kids aren’t going to answer the damn door - musics too loud and they’re probably too drunk.” Dustin complained, slamming the side of his balled-up fist against the door, pounding out a knock. “And it’s not like we can look inside, damn windows are covered up.” He said, his tone nothing but annoyance and aggravation. “Damn drunken degenerates.” He muttered, slamming his fist against the door again._

Pacing along the front porch, Joe couldn’t help but laugh at Dustin’s displeasure. “You were once a 'damn drunken degenerate’ before.” Joe chuckled, grabbing his flashlight and tapping the glass of the window with it. “If they don’t answer the front door, you just go through the back door. I know their back there, I smell the alcohol from all the way up here, and, you know, I can hear them.”

After a moment of pacing and unanswered knocks that resulted in tensions rising, the door finally opened and a male attempted to stagger out before Dustin lifted his arm, blocking his path.

_“Whoa, partner, did you just take a bath in a keg or is that just your natural scent?” Not waiting for an answer, Dustin continued. “Tell me, pal, where you heading off to?” He glanced over to Joe then back to the drunk. “Whoa, you’re Ryan, right?” He pointed with his other hand, leaning back a bit. “Well, if you don’t remember from when we came here earlier for the same exact issue, I’m Deputy Ayers and that right there is your professor and a very ticked off Sergeant Merriweather.” Cocking his head in Joe’s direction, Dustin lowered his arm and stood in front of Ryan, continuing to block his path._

Turning on his heel, Joe began to saunter back towards his partner, taking his sweet time. “Yeah, Ryan, where exactly are you headed off to?” Joe repeated, tucking his flashlight back into its holster. “A better question is: why are we back here? What didn’t you understand about that last go-around?” Leaning against the railing, Joe crossed his arms and shook his head in disappointment. “The hardest part about communication is listening, but apparently you have issues with that too - in and out of class.”

**It was almost as if everything passed through one ear and out the other since the only reply was a wide-eyed Ryan who leaned against the doorframe. His drunken trance came to a quick end at the sound of the deputy’s hearty laugh and his slow approach.** **“Hey, Joe!” Ryan exclaimed, shaking his head out and standing straight - or at least attempting to do so, but it was clear he failed as he began to lean to the right.** **  
**

“It’s not a time to be buddy-buddy, son.” Joe warned, resting his hands on his belt.

**"You all…You all are here for the, ugh, the music, right?“ Ryan glanced inside, telling someone to lower the music. "Problem solved, right?” Staggering a little, he held himself up against the door, and Ryan looked at Dustin, tilting his head back as his eyes tried to focus.**

Approaching the duo, Joe scanned the inside of the house, his eyes landing on former and current studnets. “No, the problem isn’t solved.” He rested his sights on Ryan yet again. “Like he said, where you off to? It would be stupid for me to assume that you were going to drive somewhere, right?”

**Digging his hands into his pockets, Ryan focused on the ground, his sights resting on the polished black boots on his officers. “It wouldn’t.”**

_“Would or wouldn’t? You may be too drunk to know the difference.”  Dustin chided before pushing past Ryan and entering the building, resulting in the place becoming almost dead quiet and most of the occupants retreating to various rooms, couches, andsome moving quickly into the backyard._

**Turning on his heels, Ryan spoke up. “Hey, you can’t come in without a warrant.”**

Taking a step forward, Joe placed a hand on Ryan’s shoulder and pulled him back to face him. “He can. He’s got probable cause.” His face was as stern as his voice, his eyes boring into Ryan. “Second noise complaint. Plain-view alcohol, probably have some underage kiddos in here too.”

Before stepping inside, Joe whispered, “would have known that if you listened in class.” He smiled, standing next to Dustin and looking around the alcohol infested area. “Now, listen, both of you.” Joe made eye contact with both Dustin and Ryan. “I know I said I don’t give special privileges, but since Ayers and I are on our last stretch of our shift and really don’t feel like processing anyone this late at night, I’m going to let this slide.”

_“Wait, what?” Dustin questioned, faking his shock by what Joe had just said. “Second time coming out here and we’re not gonna bust nuts and take names?” He joked, walking off and picking up a ping-pong ball before tossing it into a cup, which resulted in an array of laughter erupting from the kids on the couch next to the table. “Looking at a champ.” Dustin joked, striking a pose before walking off and opening up a pizza box._

Scoffing, Joe walked away, glancing into the kitchen area and then down the hall. “What we’re gonna go is break up this knock off version of Beertober. See, typically, everyone gets a ticket, the cars that are parked out front get impounded, folks go to the drunk tank and since the property is a rental, the landlord gets a notice from the city, but as I said, end of shift means I want to get out and go home.”  Joe explained, stepping back in front of Ryan and shutting the door.

**Vigorously nodding his head as if that helped with sobering himself up, Ryan was relieved by what Joe proposed to him - well, it wasn’t a proposition, it was more or less an command. “Thank you, Merriweather. Seriously, thank you.” Ryan said genuinely as he reached his hand out, offering the man a handshake which was granted. “You know Chris and Nat are here, you see them yet?” Ryan asked out of context.**

“Oh?” Joe tilted his head at the surprise discovery. “Are they now? That’s nice I guess. Hope they aren’t causing as much trouble as you are.” Running a hand along the nape of his neck, he turned and scanned the area yet again in search of the two students. “This is what we’re going to do…” Joe began, walking away, glancing into the kitchen again. “You’re going to round everyone up.” He walked towards the sliding glass door, peering through the blinds. “And we’re just going to take the keys of everyone who can’t drive home. Those who are sober can drive and hopefully be willing to chauffeur their friends and acquaintances home. As for the stragglers, they are stuck here for the night.”

Eyeing Chris who was in the backyard, Joe searched for Natalie who had to be somewhere in the back. “And if I get bored enough tomorrow morning, I’ll be back, waiting to charge your friends with a DUI if they leave and are still drunk.”

_Tossing his head back as he laughed, Dustin pointed at Ryan. “Trust me, there is no 'if I get bored’. He will be back.” He smirked before, chomping down on a chip. “I’ll round up the cattle.” He stepped over to the people sitting on the couch. “You heard the boss man, give 'em up.” He motioned for their keys, snapping his fingers impatiently._

Spotting Natalie, Joe clenched his jaw as his eyes tracked her as she drunkenly wobbled around the backyard.

Uttering a noise of displeasure, he turned around and walked over to the speakers, ripping the cord out from the outlet. “This stays off for the rest of the night too."  After a moment of making sure his words registered with the inebriated host, he went back to the door and slid it open.

Everyone needs to get inside right now and if you decide to be rude or not listen, the hangover won’t be your biggest regret in the morning. Now, come on, move it.” 

> _Natalie froze, cringing at the voice that broke through the noise as if it was aided by a bullhorn. Despite being nine sheets to the wind, that voice almost sober her up. Not having the courage to turn around, she walked forward, attempting to blend in with a group of girls._

"That means you, too, Jankoski. Don’t try to hide from me because I already saw you.” Joe said, calling her out as his eyes bore into the back of her.

Classifying the drunks from the sobers and taking the keys the intoxicated, Joe let those who were keyless inside as the small line filtered down which ended with Natalie.

“Good evening, ma'am. Or should I say good morning since it’s two in the fucking morning now.” Joe muttered, his annoyance rising. “Keys. Where are they?” He said, motioning for her to give them up. “You’re not driving that’s for damn sure.” He waited for her to hand them over, but the only thing he recieved was a shrug.

Joe rolled his neck, groaning. “So you were smart enough to get a ride?” Relief washing over him as she nodded. "At least you listen.” He muttered, jiggling the keys and lanyards that were in his hand. “Well, I dont trust a bunch of drunk guys so, you’re going to come with me.”

Letting her stumble into the house, Joe slide the door closed, his hand gently around her upper arm, ensuring she wouldn’t topple over or anything.

After a moment, he found Dustin who was examining all the keys in his hands.

_"Yeah, there’s no way they are going to figure out which keys go to what person_ _in the state they are in.” He whispered, looking around at the kids again. “A few of them are sober and are good to go, but it looks like Ryan is going to be having a sleepover tonight.” He grinned, facing Ryan again. “Hand them over, Mr. Hey-you-can’t-come -in-without-a-search-warrant.” He said sternly, before walking away into the kitchen with all the keys in his hand._

Chuckling, Joe gently pushed Natalie towards the door. “I’m calling a unit to stay in the area. So I strongly advise you to follow the rules we laid out…If you remember them, that is.” As he exited, he patted Ryan on the sounder and winked.

_Dustin caught up to Joe on the porch. "What’s up with her?” He pulled up on his belt and looked at the girl. “She sick or something? You know her or something?” He pulled out his flashlight and shined it on her face. “Oh yeah, she’s definitely going to be sick.” Dustin muttered, clicking the flashlight off, not wanting to spotlight any possible heaving_

“I know most of those kids in there.” Joe chuckled, guiding Natalie to his truck, his hand still around her arm. “I know her, yeah, and she may very well be sick.“ He walked around to the passenger side of his truck. "You know how you said —.”  

_“Ahh, Merriweather’s  banging the mom. Gotcha. Gotcha. Don’t even have to explain it all to me.” Dustin joked, unaware of the connection. “Taking her back home to mommy so you look like the knight in shining armor. Classic. Against protocol, but I gotcha. Smart thinking.” Patting the back of his partner, Dustin aided with helping the girl into the passenger side of the truck._

Joe left it as that. No verbal response. No explanation. No story. Nothing. If Dustin was going to assume that this was some daughter of a hook-up then so be it.

_“You’re not coming back here tomorrow, right?”_

“Nah.” Joe chuckled, shutting the truck door and walking around the front. “I’m off tomorrow.” He chuckled again, returning to the driver side door.


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Waking up in a bed that isn’t hers, Natalie quickly figures out where she is. 

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**POV:** Back to Natalie's  
 **Characters:** _Joe Merriweather,_ Natalie  
 **Quote:**   “ _Go wash that dirty mouth of yours and we’ll talk afterward,”_

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The soothing, yet repetitive pitter-pattering of the Saturday morning showers brought Natalie further away from her not-so-restful slumber and closer to her awakening.

Rolling over from her side and onto her stomach, a long and tiresome groan escaped from her half-sleep lips as she settled back down, attempting to fall back into her slumber. Snaking a weary hand across the cotton sheets, her hand rested at what she thought was the end of her bed.

Clutching and twisting the sheet in her hand, Natalie arched her back, stretching out the muscles before following it up by tensing her whole body. As this resulting in a pleasure moan breaking the silence of the room.

Annoyed by the low rumbling of the thunder and the repetitive hits of rain hitting the window, she pushed herself down, her head resting on the soft mattress as her hand returned to her body, resting beneath her head.

Pulling the covers over her head in an attempt to drown out the noise, her senses began to awaken with every passing second and every move of her body. With the covers draped over her, it was then, that the strong, yet refreshing scent of a man’s cologne began to fill her nostrils and the space around.

Fiddling with the cover until she gripped it between her fingers, she brought the comforter to her nose, pressing her face into the soft material. Lowering her head back onto the mattress, she inhaled deeply into covers, lingering in the familiar scent.

As the familiar scent began to register in her brain, her eyes flashed open at the crackle of lightening nearby.

With her body fully awake, she released the covers and propped herself up on her forearms, letting the covers fall around her body as whatever light the rainy day offered began to filter in through the opening before her.

With the scent flowing out of the space, but still lingering in the sheets, it began to dawn on her who the smell belonged to.

Staring at the bed frame and then down the the sheets beneath her, it dawned on her that neither of these things was hers.

Rolling her head from side to side, she felt her stomach dropped as she finally figured out where she was and who was with her.

Shaking the covers from her head, the surroundings of the room were finally revealed and they definitely weren’t ones she was familiar with.

Knowing that she was alone since the spot next to her was cold and there was nobody weighing the mattress down, Natalie plopped back down onto the bed as a waterfall of muffled curse words came from her mouth.

Sitting back up, she scanned the dimly lit room, her eyes bouncing from pictures to dressers to bottle silhouettes and whatever else the clutter-less room offered.

Letting her eyes rest on a picture frame that was on the nightstand, she stared at the glass, the only thing visible was her own reflection, offering her a chance to reflect on the actions of last night.

Natalie remembered most of the party - walking a few blocks to Ryan’s house and showing up later in the night, drinking with the masses of people, playing beer-pong and losing most of the rounds of that dreaded chandelier game, taking those shots, mixing a few red Solo cups, and then of course, hearing that single siren and seeing those flashing lights from the backyard. She remembered all that and most of the night, but what she couldn’t remember fully was how she ended up **here** in the bed.

Crawling to the edge of the bed, she sat on its edge while her hands rubbed her tired eyes and her toes skimmed across the carpet.

Finally standing up, Natalie looked down at herself, realizing that she was still in the same clothes as last night - a good thing in her mind. Another crackle of lightning came, illuminating the room just slightly since the blinds were drawn.

Running a hand through her hair, she began to cautiously walk along the bed until she reached a wall and flicked on a light - the lights finally gracing the room with its presence.

The lights served as her own personal flash of lightning - her vision blinded by the bright fan lights. Rubbing her eyes for a moment, she let her hand drop back to her side as she finally turned to look around the bedroom.

Deep down, she wanted to snoop around the bedroom and see all the things it offered, but she knew that at any moment, her curiosity could get her in trouble and Joe would come barging through the room. So, instead of being the creep she so badly wanted to be, she gripped the door and slowly pulled it open. Plus, on the not-so-bright side, she wanted to figure out where Joe was.

Giving the room one last glance, Natalie flicked the lights off before slowly shutting the door and entering the short hallway.

Clearing her throat, she listened intently to see if she could hear anyone walking around the house, but the only audible thing was the sound of the rain and the occasional rumble of thunder. Searching her body for her phone, it was apparent that after a moment, she was phone-less.

Grumbling, she began to slowly walk down the small hallway, stopping before a set of hung pictures. In the pictures was Joe, mainly in his younger years, with some showing him with different women, but the majority was him and his accomplishments.

One picture showed a uniformed Joe hugging an older woman, presumably his mother. Another showed two uniformed men shaking hands while holding a certificate. Another one showed Joe sitting behind the wheel of a boat with his arms wrapped around a blonde woman who was sitting on his lap - the two of them clearly happy and enjoying each other by the big smiles on their faces.

In addition, were pictures of Joe and family, Joe with colleagues and Joe with a large dog, but the one that caught his eye was the biggest framed picture.

Staring at the fairytale type wedding picture, Natalie stared at a very nicely groomed and suited up Joe who had his forehead against a very pretty blonde who’s white wedding dress flowed around them, the tail of her veil trailing behind her. The two of them were staring into each other’s eyes, her hands wrapped under his elbows, his hands gently gripping her neck while the suns rays broke through the trees, making the two of them almost glow.

The loud rumble of thunder made Natalie step away from the picture and continue walking down the hallway. It only took a handful of steps until she reached the living room where a man’s feet draped over the edge of the couch. The sound of light snoring from Joe accompanied the light pitter-pattering of the rain. With light and calculated steps, Natalie silently walked around the couch until she stood in front of the TV and behind a coffee table. She stared at a sleeping Joe, watching as his chest rose and fell with every breath under the cover. It was almost weird to see a man who was usually always serious, finally calm and at peace.

Her eyes then rested on the lump under the covers. Tilting her head as if that would help with seeing through the cover, she watched as the lump rose and fell as well.

All of a sudden, a snout popped out from under the covers, the rest of the dogs head following in line as well. A string of growls broke the silence, making Natalie take a step back and making Joe shift under the blanket, his eyes flashing open as he was startled awake.

_“Duke, no.” A very rugged and deep voice warned. “Cut it out. No growl.” Joe commanded before pulling the dog by its collar and snuggling back into the fur of the German Shepard._

_A moment of silence passed as Joe just stared at Natalie from behind the fur of Duke. “And you need to cut it out too.” He deadpanned, stretching out his legs, cracking his ankles before sitting up and letting the covers slide down his bare torso. “How are you feeling? It’s nice to see you not throwing up.” He cleared his throat, running his hand along his chest and shoulder before placing it back down on the soft fur of his companion._

It was the first time Natalie had seen her professor shirtless and it was honestly a sight to see, but at the same time, it was a bit amusing considering they had already done the dirty and Joe had already seen her in the nude. Instead of scanning over his body or the countless newly discovered tattoos that claimed his upper arms, left breast, and right shoulder, her eyes bounced from scar to scar.

Bringing her eyes back to stare at his, Natalie answered. “No hangover, but I’m thirsty, that’s for sure.” She looked back at the dog that was jumping down from the couch, stretching and yawning afterward. “What happened last night? Why am I here and not home?” She questioned, shifting on her feet before carefully walking to a recliner all the while the piercing eyes of Duke stared up at her.

_Nodding, Joe swung his legs over the side of the couch, adjusting the thin blanket that rested on his lap. “I bet you are thirsty.” He muttered, rubbing his tired eyes. “You know, because of the throwing up and alcohol.” He added, throwing his arms out and cracking his elbows. “What happened?” Joe repeated her words, laughing at them. “Do you not remember?” He questioned, leaning over and running his hand through Duke’s thick fur._

“If I remembered, I wouldn’t be asking.”

_Defensively throwing up his hands, Joe let out a strained chuckle. “Well, where to start.” He thought to himself as he lowered his hands and leaning into the couch. “I assume that you still remember most of that happened at that little party you were at, so, I’m just going to bypass that. Anyways, after escorting your drunken self out of the house, I loaded you into my truck, and we were on our way back to your house, but we had to make a little pit stop because when I looked over at you, you were about two seconds away from throwing up all over my dashboard - you were too quiet and just staring out the windshield, I’m all too familiar with that look when it comes to a drunk. So, I pulled over and quickly opened your door, and just as I expected, the floodgates of throw up opened and you nearly caught me with that mess, but I think my trucks sidestep wasn’t as lucky.” Joe chuckled, shaking his head, his eyes staring at his reflection in the blackened TV. “After that whole thing happened, we reached your house, but from the looks of it, no one was home and that’s when I decided to bring you here instead. Why? Well, that’s simple. You were throwing up and I wasn’t going to let you sleep in a house where no one was able to check up on you throughout the night.” Rubbing his hands together, he continued. “So, I brought you back here and by the time we arrived, you were passed out, so, I carried you inside, placed you in my bed, gave you some water, wiped your face clean, and watched you for a few minutes while I changed and did my own thing.”_

Leaning back in the chair, Natalie stared up at the ceiling as a wave of embarrassment washed over her. “That’s embarrassing.” She muttered to herself, rubbing the back of her neck. “Please tell me I didn’t make a bigger fool of myself throughout the night.” She nearly begged, hoping that nothing more happened.

_“It was actually the morning, so, in a way, you’re right?” Joe answered, confused with his answer. “But you get what I mean.” He waved his hand, shooing away his last response. “Back to the story - you threw up a few times here, the barfing session stopping at six or so when you finally threw up bile and returned to my bed. I helped you to the bathroom and held your hair back while the all happened because I am such a nice man.” Joe boasted, a smile claiming his lips. “I wanted to change you and get you into something more comfortable, but I don’t have any spare women’s clothing around and I didn’t wanna bother you.” He finally looked away from the TV and rested his sights on her. “You see, when you’re in my position, you become accountable for someone else besides yourself - I was just doing my service and making sure you made it through the night.” His tone was heavy, yet light and sincere. “I would say ‘don’t be embarrassed’, but it’s obvious my words won’t do much.”_

A long groan came from Natalie as she listened to Joe finish up. “Don’t be embarrassed.” She repeated, scoffing at the ridiculous advice. “Yeah, because throwing up and having my damn professor right by my side, witnessing it all, and looking after me isn’t something to be embarrassed about. Like, come on, Joe, that’s like the number one reason to be embarrassed on the list of reasons to be embarrassed.” Natalie sighed, shaking her head.

_“Hey, my partner thinks I’m banging your mom, so, that’s worth a laugh or two.” He jested, taking to his feet. “He doesn’t suspect a thing.” Joe grabbed the shirt that was draped over the armrest._

“Wow,” Natalie said with false shock. “Glad no one knows I got banged by my professor. That’s something I don’t have to be embarrassed about.” She praised with nothing more than sarcasm as she watched him dress.

_“Whoa now, that’s nothing to be embarrassed about. In my opinion, that’s a check off my bucket list - you know, if I was in your shoes.” Muffled Joe as his head finally popped out of the shirt, a smile on his face as she walked over to her. “I have a spare toothbrush in the bathroom, go wash that dirty mouth of yours and we’ll talk afterward,” Joe ordered, his hand coming up and resting under her chin, tilting it up so she was staring at him. “Like I said, don’t be embarrassed, what you did, that’s nothing, I’ve seen way worse things and I’ve dealt with far nastier and embarrassing things.” Offering her some sort of comfort with his words, Joe smiled as his thumb traced along her jaw line. “Now go clean up and I’ll take you home after we eat.”_


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Natalie decides to ask Joe about his failed marriage only for him to ignore the question and storm off. 

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**POV:** Joe  
 **Characters:** Joe Merriweather, _Natalie_  
 **Quote:**  “Rub me in the right spot and I’ll make all your dreams and wishes come true.”

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Feeling the presence of someone watching him, Joe glanced over his shoulder, his eyes taking in the view of a slightly improved Natalie. “Cleaned yourself up, I see.” He congratulated as if it was some accomplishment from her part. “No hangover, so, I’m guessing you drank more clear liquor than anything else.” His eyes traced along her body, a simple throaty scoff coming from him. “It’s safe to say you’re running on an empty stomach after you’re little drunken escapade last night. I hope you’re fine with eggs, bacon, and coffee - or orange juice, whichever you prefer - because that’s what the chef is cooking up on this dark and gloomy Saturday morning.” He laughed, a smile spreading across his features, showcasing his dimples.

_Bowing her head, trying to hide her blushing cheeks, Natalie simply scoffed and made her way to the front window; the outside world blocked off by the curtains. “Very funny, Joe.” She mumbled, annoyed by her own embarrassment and drunken decisions._

_Pulling back a curtain, she peered outside, examining the new surroundings with false interest. “It’s fine. Whatever you’re making is fine, but you don’t have to do that - you don’t have to do any of this.” She spoke, the latter of her response nothing more than a mumble._

“Don’t flatter yourself,” Joe admitted, his attention back on the crackling bacon. “I was making myself food, I might as well make a bit more and offer you some.” Taking a piece of bacon, he stepped away from the stove and walked to the opposite counter. “But you’re joking, right?” He asked, resting against the counter as he chomped down on the bacon. “Now you’re going to tell me what I should and shouldn’t do?” He scoffed, furrowing his brows. “Natalie, listen, I’m a grown ass man and there’s a lot of things that I shouldn’t do that I did anyways. I could give you a load of example, but I’ll settle for some of my favorite recent ones.”

Tossing the last bit of bacon in Duke’s direction before returning to the stove to check his food, Joe began laying out his examples. “Remember when you seduced me in my office and I nearly went to town on you on my desk? Yeah, I shouldn’t have done that, but I did.” Cracking open a few eggs on the adjacent pan, he continued. “Remember when I gave you that hickey? When I roughly fucked you in the back of my pickup _**while**_ on duty? Yeah, that’s something I shouldn’t have done, but would you look at that, I did. Oh yeah, I’m sure you remember the little hand job or whatever you gave me in class? Yup, that’s another thing I shouldn’t have let happen.” With the memories crawling out of his subconscious, it made his cock twitch.

_Exchanging the dark and gloomy aesthetic of the outside world with a warmer and brighter one, her eyes resting on Joe. “Whoa now, Joe. I never said you shouldn’t do it, I said you don’t have to do it.” Her tone a bit cocky as she let the curtains fall from her hands. “There’s kind of a difference if you ask me.”_

With the food done and the stove off, Joe began making his way towards her, his companion following along behind him. “Detective Jankoski picking apart my words.” He waved a finger in her direction as he sauntered his way towards her. “You got yourself a point there - remember when Dan told you to tell me to stop because I can ‘go on for hours’?” He asked, receiving a nod as a response. “Well, that was the perfect time to tell me to stop.”

_Watching as Joe slowly crept towards her, her sights were focused more on the large dog that followed in his shadows. “And what if I wanted to hear you ramble on and make a fool of yourself?” She asked, her gaze finally coming up to meet his yet again._

“Well, looks like you got your wish then.” Joe waggled his eyebrows, scoffing. “Not only am I a handyman, but I’m a genie as well - rub me in the right spot and I’ll make all your dreams and wishes come true.”

Stopping before her, Joe looked at her through hooded eyes. “Or, in some cases, I might have to rub you.”

_Shocked, and with a dropped jaw, Natalie stared up at him, disbelief plastered across her face. “Really now?” She asked, a chain of laughter following  in suit._

Joe snaked his hands around her waist, his eyes never looking away from hers. “Yes really.” He whispered heavily, stepping around her, his hands trailing along her skin as he took his place behind her.

Compared to any other time he ran his fingers across her skin, there was no comparison, except for the hitch in her breathing. This time, there was no flinching. There was no tensing. She was accepting his touch.

With only inches separating his body from hers, he raced a hand up from her waist to her neck - his fingernails grazing along the delicate skin, forcing her to tilt her head to the opposite side.

_“Joe.” Natalie nearly moaned, feeling his fingers ghost their way up to her ear, tucking away a strand of hair and then proceeding to pull her hair to one side, revealing her bare neck._

“No, no, no.” He lowered his head towards her ear, whispering his warning while allowing his hand to reclaim its spot on her hip, his fingers dipping just slightly into her jeans.

Freezing, he allowed for the anticipation to build up.

“Before we do anything…” He finally closed the gap between the two of them, allowing her to feel his erection. “We have to eat before it gets cold.” Playfully thrusting into her, Joe boomed with laughter, stepping around her, and adjusting himself as he made his way into the kitchen.

_With lust-filled eyes boring into Joe as he walked away, Natalie ran her hand across her neck, absentmindedly rubbing the area. “Wow, not only are you a professor, an officer, a handyman, and a genie, you’re also a tease.”_

“I never claimed that I wasn’t.” With two plates in his hands, Joe turned, winking at her as he walked to the dining table.

Placing the plates down, he pulled a seat out, motioning for her to sit. “Don’t worry, I’m not going to tease you…”

Watching as she neared him, he smiled, letting go of the seat and taking his own. “That is, unless that’s one of your wishes because I can totally grant that.” Settling down, he stuffed a piece of bacon into his mouth, clapping his hands once.

 

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As the storm rolled on just outside the house, the two of them ate and engaged in small talk to pass the time.

_Settling her fork down, Natalie looked over at Joe who was staring at his phone. “Since you’re a self-proclaimed genie, that means you’re open to granting whatever wish I have?” She asked, pulling his attention away from the phone and up to her._

Bringing the coffee cup to his lips, Joe nodded before sipping down the warm liquid. “Mm-hm.” He hummed, swallowing the rest of the strong drink before placing the cup back down. “Well, for the most part, if you want me to kill someone or something along those lines, it won’t happen.”

_Rubbing her hands together under the table, Natalie nodded, nervously biting down on her lip. “No, it’s just something I’m curious about.”_

Noticing her timid nature, Joe tossed his phone onto the table and leaned into his seat, crossing his arms. “Spit it out, Natalie, it won’t taste so bad.”

_Running her hand from under the table up to her shoulder, she nervously rubbed the area. “Well, when I was coming out of your bedroom, I was snooping around.”_

“Shit, did you find my fuzzy handcuffs?” Joe said with wide eyes.

_“No.” Natalie blurted out as if she was guilty of actually finding them. “Wait, you have fuzzy handcuffs?”_

“Of course, I do.” Joe laughed, rubbing his stubbly face. “Every cop has a pair. I even have a pair in my truck. Usually, they are a joke, but that doesn’t mean I haven’t used them a time or two before. Besides, I’d rather use the real thing.”

_“Well, no, that’s not what I was going to say, but I’ll remember that.” Giving her a second to gather her thoughts, Natalie reached out and grabbed her coffee cup, sipping down the liquid. “What I was going to say is: I saw those pictures on the hallway wall, the ones in your younger years…” she placed the cup back down, clearing her throat. “Where you were married.”_

Wringing his hands, Joe allowed his head to drop. “Some of those pictures are just a few year old, but I don’t want to talk about this right now.” He grumbled, his tone stern. “So don’t even ask about it.”

Suddenly, Joe took to his feet, grabbing the plates from the table and placing them in the sink. “Stay here. I’m going to shower and then I’ll take you home. Don’t go snooping around anymore because I’ll know.”  

_Stunned, all Natalie could do was stare up at Joe before he stormed away. “Joe, look, I’m sorry if —.” She was then interrupted by the shutting of a door, leaving her alone with her thoughts_

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With the steam of the shower clinging to the mirrors of his bathroom, Joe stood in the hot stream of water, letting it pelt his bare back.

It had only been a few minutes since he entered the shower, but it felt like an eternity as he battled with his own conscience.

Leaning his shoulder against the cold tile of the shower wall, he watched as pellets of water raced down the left side of his body before vanishing down the drain.

Running his right hand up his left arm, Joe stopped on his bicep, his fingers tracing along the scar before continuing up towards his neck.

He ran his hand down his chest, releasing the drops of water from the confines of his black chest hair only for them to be captured by his pubic hair.

Still invested in his own thoughts instead of washing himself, Joe closed his eyes, preventing the threat of tears from flowing.

Bringing a hand up to his face, he rubbed his forehead for a moment before resting his fingers on his eyes, rubbing them and ridding himself from the built up tears.

With his thoughts running rampant in his mind and his ears zoning out everything but the steady stream of water, Joe failed to realize the warm body that entered behind him

_Reversing the roles, Natalie managed to stealthily make her way into the shower, taking her place behind Joe who had yet to notice her appearance._

_She examined the fragile man before her - it was obvious that the wounds of his divorce were still fresh to him._

_Placing a gentle hand on his back, she felt the man beneath her come awake with her presence. He quickly tensed, his hands dropping to cover himself as he pulled away from her touch._

_No scolding words or glances were exchanged. The only sound that filled the shower was the water hitting their bodies._

_Another gentle hand connected with his skin as she took a cautious step forward - it was almost as if she was trying to calm a wild beast._

“I know the past doesn’t disappear on command, but sometimes I wish it did.” He somberly said, finally breaking the deadlock of silence

He received no verbal response, the only response was her hand stroking his forearm, her other hand lightly grazing up and down his back.

“We just…we weren’t happy with each other anymore. One day we’re loving up on each other, the next we’re baring our teeth and wanting to rip each other’s throat out.” Joe dropped his head, a trail of water making its way down his cheek. “She wanted things I couldn’t give to her and Claire wasn’t the nicest of women during the latter parts of our marriage.”

Taking a deep breath, Joe slowly turned around, finally revealing his red eyes to her.

Unable to keep stable eye contact, he looked away towards the shower head, a single scoff coming from him.

“Lack of communication and intimacy due to our careers. Constant bitching and the occasional threat. Not to mention, she wanted kids and I physically couldn’t give her what she wanted. Why? Well, in the early years of our marriage, I happened to get a vasectomy because I didn’t want any buggers running around. I didn’t tell her. It was all a secret. I wasn’t ready.” He dropped his head yet again, his eyes closing, shielding him from Natalie’s naked body. “Of course, there’s more to the story, but I think that’s enough for the day.”

_Natalie listened to his words, soaking up the emotional dialogue, feeling sorry for the mess of a man before her - his eyes clasped shut, his hands not daring to touch her. “People fall out of love, but that means that they were once in love.” She whispered, her hand coming up, tracing along a scar on his chest before draping itself over his shoulder._

“I was in love with her, but that was a lifetime ago.” Opening his eyes, he allowed for them to linger on her wet, naked body before pulling his gaze away and resting them on her face.

_Silence enveloped the two of them as they stared at each other. The man who stood before her who was usually stoic and calculating was nothing more than a red-eyed, vulnerable boy._

_Searching his eyes for some sort of answer on what to do next, the only thing Natalie thought of was to kiss him._

_Tilting her head upwards, she closed in, her lips finally connecting with his after a second of hesitation. The first official kiss between the two wasn’t forced and rough like the one in the back of the truck or the office, instead, it was sensual and soft._

After a moment of just standing there, shocked by the boldness of Natalie, Joe finally deepened the kiss, his right hand coming up, resting on the crook of her neck while tilting her head towards him. His left hand wrapping around her waist, pulling her small body into his.

It might have been due to the setting or his emotional state, but the kiss seemed to last an eternity. The roaming hands, the tugging of his bottom lip, and the fact that their bodies were pressed against each other while the water ran down their bodies made the thought of fucking her spread across his mind like a wildfire, but he couldn’t bring himself to do it. 

With the passionate kissing coming to an end, Joe pulled away, his mood lightening up as a smile claimed his lips. “Come on, let’s get you home before you end up staying here all weekend. Wouldn’t want your friends calling the cops and putting you on the missing list.”


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After two weeks of keeping their relationship professional, things turn a bit…unprofessional.

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**Warnings:** Oh, yeah, there’s smut in this.   
**POV:** Long Dong Joe  
 **Characters:** Joe Merriweather, _Natalie, Ryan,_ **Dustin Ayers**  
 **Word Count:** 4700ish  
 **Quote:**  “What’s six inches, hard, has white stuff on the end, and goes in and out of a hole?”

* * *

* * *

 

“…One moment I’m looking at my screen, reading the info while shooting the shit with Dustin, and then the next moment I’m in a foot pursuit with this guy - well, if you can call it a pursuit. I called it a casual stroll down the street.” Joe chuckled, removing his black-rimmed glasses and tossing them onto the wooden desk.well, if you can call it a pursuit. I called it a casual stroll down the street.” Joe chuckled, removing his black-rimmed glasses and tossing them onto the wooden desk.

Reclining in his seat, Joe stared at Natalie who silently sat on the opposite side of his desk - her eyes scanning the pages of one of her books with her legs draped over the chair, her backpack propping up her head.

It had been two weeks since their last one-on-one private encounter and it was finally time to remove that facade of professionalism and seriousness the two portrayed within the classroom and in the presence of others. But here they were, in his office, relaxing and reveling in each other’s presence before going their separate ways, continuing on with their classes and teaching only to wind up crossing paths at the end of the day.

With his fingers absentmindedly toying with the ends of his sub wrapper, his eyes continued to gaze at the young woman before him.

No, at this point he wasn’t gazing at her, he was gawking. The same way a young school boy gawked over his classmate, but in this case, it was a professor admiring his student. Although, if you were to ask him, it wasn’t a lustful admiration nor an infatuation. Instead, his keen eyes latched onto everything about her. He watched as her stomach rose with every breath only to fall seconds later. He noticed the muscles in her neck becoming defined whenever she inhaled deeply. His eyes caught onto the way she bit her lower lip and her brow furrowed as she read the words plastered on the page before her.

_“Are you going to finish off the rest of your story or do you want to just stop there and keep me hanging?” Natalie asked, pulling Joe out of his trance._

“I thought you might have wanted to keep studying or whatever you’re doing instead of listening to my story.” Never removing his sights from her, Joe rested his eyes on her face, waiting for a response.

_Raising a brow and faking a frown, Natalie glanced away from her book, closing it. “Tell me, when am I not trying to get you to tell me some sort of story?” She jested, pulling her legs back onto the ground so she was actually sitting in the chair as opposed to awkwardly laying in it. “I’m all ears,” she smiled._

“Well, when you put it that way, you have a point.” He admitted, finally looking away, trading in the beauty of a woman for the beauty of the field right outside his window.

“You see, this guy was easily over three hundred pounds, so, you know, he wasn’t really going anywhere at a fast rate. So, I turn over to Dustin and I’m like ’ _ **really**_ , does this guy **_really_** think all three hundred pounds of him is going to run away?’ and all Dustin could do is sit there and laugh his ass off and I mean really laugh his ass off to where he couldn’t even get out of the cruiser to get this guy, leaving me to do all the dirty work.”

Pulling his sights away from the window, he pushed away from the desk and pulled himself towards a small fridge in the corner of his office. “I shit you not, this guy couldn’t even run, it was more of a waddle as he scurried down the road.”

Opening the door, he scanned the scarce contents of the fridge before setting for a water bottle, closing the small fridge door afterwards. “Since I had no choice but to chase him - because at this point he’s fleeing from police -, I stepped out of my cruiser and ran after him.”

As the memory of the man running away claimed his thoughts, his conscience painted a picture, bringing Joe back to that exact situation.

There was a moment of silence before he began scoffing, a string of disappointing nods followed suit as he twisted the cap off, taking a swig of water.

_“Let me guess, you caught up to him in no time and took him to the ground.” Natalie broke the awkward pause as she stood up from the chair, her legs bringing her over to the window._

“Took about two seconds before he was face first on the road with my knee on his back. I swear to God, the ground shook when I took him down .” He chuckled a few times. “He was already struggling to catch his breath and probably on the brink of a heart attack and I knew he wasn’t going anywhere so I stood back up. .”

Swiveling around, Joe realized that Natalie finally stood up and wandered towards the window. Yet again, he stared at her for a second before rolling his way back to his desk.

_“Mind if I close this?” She asked, glancing over her shoulder, watching as Joe began to unwrap his lunch._

Biting into his sub, Joe nodded, giving her a thumbs up.

It took a few seconds, but after he finished chewing, he continued his story.“Even though we didn’t make it too far, I still had to call Dustin over the radio and tell him to bring more cuffs because one pair wasn’t going to work on this dude,” he bit into his sandwich again, this time pushing all manners aside and talking with a half-full mouth. “So, Dustin runs over…and he’s still out of breath from laughing and watching…this little shit show go down - I’ve seen this man…laugh up a storm before, but this…was a whole…different thing, he probably pissed himself…if you ask me.”

_With the blinds blocking out the sunshine, the office darkened. Toying with the strings, Natalie turned to face Joe, her body leaning against the wall beside the window. “Yeah?” She questioned, watching as he took the sub into his mouth. “And if you ask me, I say you can take that eight-inch sub pretty well.”_

Shocked by her witty comment, Joe stopped mid-bite, a disgruntled ‘mmm’ coming from him as he finally finished his bite, placing the food back down.

Staring up at her through hooded eyes, his grin concealed by his chewing. “Really?” He retorted between chews. “I’ll show you how well _**you**_ can take _**my**_ eight inches.”

The two shared a moment of joyful silence. An amused Natalie stared down at her feet, taking her bottom lip into her mouth in an effort to conceal the fit of laughter that was threatening her.

Swallowing his bite, Joe figured he won this battle of the jokes and decided to continue with his story. “Anyways, it took three or four pairs to cuff him up, but I mean, he wasn’t going anywhere anyways.”

_“How’d you two get him to his feet?” She wondered, letting the strings fall from her hand as she stepped away from the window, making her way towards Joe._

“We strained to get him to his feet, but I’ll tell you how we got him up,” he said, eyeing Natalie as she stalked her way towards him. “Dustin and I scooped our arms under his armpits and pulled him up to his knees and brought him to his feet.”

As she neared him, he turned his chair, so, instead of sitting directly in front of his desk, his body was positioned diagonally.

With one leg stretched out in her direction and the other bent under the desk, he continued. “Dustin nearly broke a sweat while doing this - well, ignoring whatever sweat he had from his laughing fit.”

_“And let me guess, the big…” Her fingers grazed along the cool, wooden surface “Bad…” She stepped over his leg, entrapping herself between the desk, his body, and his outstretched leg. “Merriweather didn’t even break a sweat.”_

In an instant, and a bold decision, Natalie took a seat on Joe’s outstretched leg, a hand wrapping around his neck. “Did you fit him in your cruiser?”

With his body becoming stiff, Joe stared at her with wide eyes and raised brows. “No.” He shook his head, relaxing, and taking a few seconds to chew and swallow whatever food he had in his mouth.

He cleared his throat, his body still slightly frozen. Seconds later, he wrapped a hand around her waist, bringing his leg back to his body, and pulling her squarely onto his lap. “We weren’t even going to attempt to fit him in the cruiser.” He bounced his leg once, letting his thigh adjust to her weight. “Dustin had to call over a van to pick him up.”

_The words he spoke went through one ear and out the other since her attention was placed elsewhere. “I’m sure you have plenty of stories and jokes up your sleeve.”_

Watching as her other hand came up and rested on his chest, Joe raised a brow, a tight-lipped smile painting his lips. “Well, you’re not wrong about that.”

“Tell me a joke, Joe.” Natalie leaned forward, whispering into his ear as her fingers began to work on unbuttoning his shirt.

“Oh, Natalie, you dirty little birdie.” Joe scolded as he shifted in his seat. “You want a joke?” He questioned, pulling his face slightly away from her lips that were still lingering by his ear.

_“I wouldn’t say it just for the hell of it.” Natalie sassed, her fingers gliding across the newly revealed chest chair. “Give me a good one.” She whispered, her lips now gliding across his bearded cheek. “A real good one.”_

Joe groaned, his newly revealed chest rising up and down as his breath hitched. “Oh, you don’t know how bad…” He cocked his head to the side, attempting to escape from her teasing lips. “I want to give you a good one.”

_“Come on, Joe, I’m waiting for it.” Ignoring his shirt, she allowed for her hand to travel down the fabric until the smoothness of his shirt was exchanged for the waistband of his pants. “You know we don’t have a lot of time.”_

_Her lips finally connected with his skin, trailing delicate kisses across his jaw as her hand palmed at the tent in his pants, the other venturing into his black hair._

A throaty groan escaped Joe’s lips as he straightened up, reacting to the new sensations he was feeling. Deep down, he knew this wasn’t the place nor the time to have sex, but the animalistic side began to take hold on him.

With the hand that was wrapped around her waist, he pulled her closer to him, his other hand coming up and disappearing under her loose shirt.

_Instead of awkwardly sitting in his lap, Natalie positioned herself on top of him, her legs straddling his sides. Bringing her hands back to his center, she resumed unbuttoning his shirt while her lips continued to leave a trail of light kisses from his cheek down to his bare collarbone._

Another throaty groan came from Joe after Natalie repositioned herself - his erection begging to break free from his zipped slacks.

As his hand roamed beneath her shirt, he trailed his fingertips down her spine, watching as she arched into him only to sit back down - these small grinds forced Joe to clench his jaw, his nostrils flaring with every movement. “Goddamnit.” He muttered under his breath.

_With Joe’s shirt fully unbuttoned, Natalie proceeded to pull it out of his slacks, forcing Joe to arch up, her body moving with his._

“Stand up.” Joe commanded, placing his hands on her hips and pushing her away slightly.

_“Wait, what?” Natalie asked, confused._

“I said stand up.” He repeated, leaning forward and guiding her off his lap. “Good, now stand there for me.”

Unbuttoning his pants and pulling down his fly, a sigh of relief came from him as he pulled his slacks down to his thighs. “Fuck me.” He huffed under his breath.  

Taking in the view, he bit down on his bottom lip. “God, the things I would do to you if we weren’t stuck in my office.” He taunted, slowly shaking his head.

Leaning forward, he placed his hands on her waist. “Tell me, Natalie…,” he hooked his index fingers through her belt loop, pulling her between his legs. “What’s six inches…,” unlooping his fingers, Joe let one hand drop to her crotch, his hand rubbing her through her jeans while the other released the button of her jeans. “Hard…,” he watched as she tilted her head to the side, her eyes closing as he rubbed her through her jeans.

He slowly pulled down her zipper, both of his hands returning to her hips only for his fingers to disappear beneath her waistband. “Has white stuff on the end…,” he slowly and teasingly began pulling her jeans down, his eyes latching onto the bare skin that was now revealing itself. “And goes in and out of a hole.”

Bringing the jeans to her ankles, he leaned forward, gently lifting her legs to free the cloth from her body.

Tossing the jeans onto the floor next to him, his hands ran up her sides, gripping onto her ass before pulling her to him once more.

Slipping his index fingers under the thin strand of her underwear, he began to pull him down slowly. “Tell me,” he ordered, lowering his face, his lips placing kisses down her bare skin.

_With a hand toying with the ends of his hair, Natalie squirmed under his touch and gentle kisses, but the moment she felt his fingers leave her side only to be placed on her slit, she grabbed a wad of his black hair._

“Tell me.” Joe repeated more aggressively, his head backing away from her thigh so she could see her upcoming reaction. Slowly, he ran his hand down her outer slit, his middle finger dipping into her wetness.

_“I…I don’t know…A dick?” Natalie said almost as if she was nervous._

“Wrong.” Joe smiled, his middle finger finally entering her. As a result, he received a pleasurable gasp from her as he slowly pushed into her only to pull out. “It’s a toothbrush.” He joked, pushing into her again, his eyes latching onto her face.

With her panties now hitting the ground, he brought his free hand back up to the small of her back, guiding her body back onto his lap, letting her straddle him yet again. All the while he did this, he finally kissed her and continued to slowly finger her, working her body up so he could enter her with his.

_With a hand still entwined in his hair, Natalie dropped her other hand onto his boxers, pulling the fabric down from his cock. She smiled under the kiss as she grabbed onto his shaft - the feel of his warmth and precum claiming her hand._

Running his hand up her back until he reached her hairline, Joe gripped a wad of her hair, pulling his lips away from hers for a second only to jerk her head back by her hair. “I’ll give it to you good on this fucking desk.” He said through gritted teeth, his lips latching onto her neck.

Pulling his hand out from under her, he roughly grabbed her hand, forcing her to pump his cock a few times. Releasing her hand seconds later, he struggled to dig his hand into his pants pocket. He successfully pulled out his wallet, his free hand fiddling to find the wrapper that was tucked into it.

Finding his condom, he tossed the wallet onto the floor. “I swear to God, Natalie…” Joe huffed, pulling away from her neck only to look down at her hand that was slowly stroking him. “Fuck.” He muttered, throwing his head back against the chair, his eyes shuttering.

_Lifting herself just slightly, she released his shaft. Bringing her body against his, she kissed his chest and began grinding against his cock - her wetness sliding against his dick with every grind._

Digging his nails into the armrest, Joe thrusted with her, his hips falling in pace with her grinds. “No, no, no.” He verbally scolded himself, his eyes flashing open moments later.

In an instant, he wrapped his arms under her, picking her up as he took to his feet - his pants and boxers falling down.

Dropping her down, Joe grabbed her by her waist, pulling her into his body. “Now, don’t be loud, little one.” He warned, roughly kissing her one last time before turning her around.

With one hand slipping under her shirt again, Joe applied pressure, forcing her to bend over before him, her upper body pressing down against his desk. With his other hand, he brought the condom wrapper up to his mouth, slowly tearing the wrapper open, spitting out the edge before grabbing the object, letting its package fall down to the ground.

Rolling it on, he positioned himself behind her, his tip ghosting across her entrance. “Like I said…,” he pushed her shirt up, removing it as,  
his lips placed soft kisses between her shoulder blades. “Be quiet.” He finished, abruptly thrusting into her, a soft moan escaping both of their lips.  

Straightening up, he shifted on his feet, getting his footing as he began to slowly thrust in and out of her, allowing for her to adjust to his width.

“Just imagine if you started this little thing elsewhere.” He groaned lowly while a hand continued to force her down onto the desk. “Would have been _**way**_ better, but no, now I’m not able to hear you call out my name.” His thrusts began to become more aggressive and deeper.

_“Why don’t you just punish me again.” Natalie taunted, lifting her head up to glance back to him._

Clenching his jaw, the hand that was resting on her back traveled up to her head, gripping her hair. “Punish you?” Joe hissed, his thrusts reaching deep into her now, his body nearly tumbling over her as he dug deep into her. “I’ll show you a punishment next time.” He grunted, pulling up by her hair so that she was standing against him - which resulted in her letting out a slight cry by his sudden adjustment.

Releasing her locks, he gripped her neck with the same hand, tilting her neck to the side. “Quiet.” He warned yet again before kissing along her collarbone while his other hand came up, reaching down between her legs, rubbing her clit as he continued to thrust into her.

_Arching her back, she gripped his wrist, her nails digging into his flesh as he rhythmically rubbed at her clit. “Joe, stop.” She pleaded with pleasure as he continued, ignoring her false plea. She gripped at the fabric of his shirt with her other hand as the thrusts and rubs continued._

With a series of drawn out ‘fucks’, low moans, and the sound of skin smacking against skin, the both of them crept towards their climax.

Pushing her back down onto the desk, Joe increased his pace. With every thrust he was brought closer and closer to his orgasm until it finally hit him - she was going to beat him to the punch.

With Natalie arching slightly, he felt her contractions pulse in and out, forcing him to follow suit just a few thrusts later.

With his orgasm seconds away, Joe thrusted deep one last time, his hand gripped her shoulder, pulling her into him and pushing her deep into her.

Hovering just inches from her, he let out a serious of low and throaty groans as beads of sweat formed on his forehead.

A few short thrusts later, Joe finally stood straight, pulling out of her and stepping backwards. “Good fuck.” He said out of breath, carefully glancing down at himself, removing the condom and tying it up. “Literally and figuratively.” He joked, reaching out and grabbing the paper bag the sub came in.

Covering his wrapper in the bag, he tossed it into the trash can beside his desk.

Grabbing a napkin from his desk, he cleaned himself off, tossing that into the trash as well before grabbing another napkin and handing it to the still bent Natalie who was probably recovering from her climax. “Might wanna clean up.” He jested.

Bending down, he pulled his boxers back up before sitting back down on his chair. “I don’t know how we’re gonna deal with each other when we see each other in class.” He admitted, reaching out and grabbing her, pulling her from the desk and back onto his lap. “We can barely do it when we’re with each other.” He smiled, his finger tracing along her jaw as she offered him a coy smile. “Next time pick a better spot. We have a record of two quickies.”

Placing a finger on her clit, he gently rubbed at her again, his lips coming up and connecting with her own.

The two of them smiled under the shared kiss until a knock on the door came, pulling them away from their kiss and back into the reality of where they were.

Clenching his jaw, he motioned Natalie to get off of him. Sitting up, Joe quickly buttoned his shirt, eyeing the door, hoping that the disturber would leave.

With his luck, another knock came seconds later, forcing Joe to take to his feet and carefully pull his pants up, making sure his belt made no noise. “What?” He called out, quickly walking around a fully clothed Natalie and towards the covered window.

> “It’s Ryan, do you have a moment, Professor?“

Groaning, Joe raised the blinds, letting the sunshine enter the room yet again. “I’m currently with a student, you know better, Ryan.  Make an appointment next time if you wish to speak privately.” Joe called out, lifting the window, allowing the fresh air to flood into the room.

> “Sir, I want to apologize for what happened over Spring Break.”

Annoyed, Joe ran a hand through his hair, taming the mess that Natalie made.

Turning to her, he realized she was sitting back in the chair, almost as if nothing had just happened.

Silently telling her to spray herself with perfume, Joe rushed back to his desk, doing the same time.

“Ah, it’s about time, but I’m afraid I’m busy at the moment.” Joe answered, glancing down at the floor beneath his desk, noticing his wallet and wrapper laying on the ground.

_“It’s okay, Professor, let him apologize to you.” Natalie said, introducing herself into the conversation. “It’s better late than never.”_

Shooting straight up, he glared at her, shaking his head in disbelief as he tucked the items into his pocket, and his shirt afterwards.

Frantically looking around his office to ensure everything was in place and nothing was suspicious, Joe began walking his way towards the locked door.

Gripping the handle, Joe unlocked the door and gave one last look at Natalie who was watching him.

Opening the door halfway, instead of looking down at Ryan, the first person he noticed was Dustin barreling down the hallway in his uniform. A cup of coffee and bag in his hand, a friendly and warm smile on his face.

> “I’m sorry, Professor, for the party and the noise complaints.”

Glancing down to Ryan, Joe shook his head. “After two weeks, the only reason you feel the need to apologize is because you feel guilty. Next time, if you want to make an apology more sincere, tell the person you’re sorry when you next see them, not linger in their classroom and sit right in front of them.” Joe explained, his tone stern and unforgiving.

> “I apologize for that, sir.” Ryan shifted on his feet, taking a step back.

“See, that’s what I’m talking about.” Joe stated, his tone friendlier than before as he patted the young man on the shoulder.

Joe greeted Dustin, forcing Ryan to turn around, his face becoming pale as eyes landed on Dustin.

**“Joesph, I come with gifts.” Dustin raised the coffee and small bag. “Black coffee and a donut.” He explained, his sights resting on the familiar man. “My best friend, Ryan. Staying out of trouble with the old man, I hope.” Turning, he looked into the office, his sights settling on the woman from the party. He furrowed his brow before looking back to his partner. “Old man needs some fuel for those mid-day blues and since I was in the area, I thought I’d bring you some.” He offered the cup and bag to him.**

Chuckling, Joe grabbed the items, lifting them up, gesturing his thank you.

Glancing over his shoulder, his sights settled on Natalie. “I was just finishing up…,” he turned back to the men before him, opening the door wide. “With the meeting, I had with Ms. Jankoski.”

Offering them the opportunity to enter his office, Joe made his way back to his desk, sipping on his coffee and tossing the bag onto the wooden surface. “Come in.” Joe said, verbally giving them his offer.

“Thank you, sir, but I have a class I need to get going to.” Ryan explained, his gaze shifting from Dustin to Joe and then to Natalie, offering her a warm smile. “I’ll see you two in class.”

**Before Ryan could go anywhere, Dustin planted a hand on his shoulder, stopping him. “Listen here, son, if Merriweather and I have to come out again to your rental, we’re not going take it easy on you this time. If you thought you shut your party down last time, just you wait.” Dustin threatened, his grip hardening in the younger man’s shoulder. “Keep this one out of trouble, too. She’s got a future ahead of her.” Dustin glanced at Natalie. “Now scat.” Dustin patted the man’s back before letting him walk back down the hall before he entered the room.**

**“Wardens taking care of business on this fine afternoon. You know, having all these kiddos coming in your office.” Dustin glanced around the room, his eyes landing in the window before scanning the rest of the room. “Sure smells funky in here too.”**

Shifting uneasily on his feet, Joe leaned against the edge of his desk. “Does it now?” He asked, turning slightly and grabbing the rest of his sub. “Black coffee, subs, and the outside air sure do make a weird smell I guess.” Joe bit into his sub, placing it back down as his eyes glanced over to Natalie who was holding back on a smile.

**“Guess so.” Dustin shrugged, taking a seat in the adjacent chair. Shifting in his seat to look at the woman next to him, he looked her over and smiled. “Nice to see you not on the brink of death. Different change of scenery, pretty if you don’t mind me saying.”**

_Raising a brow, Natalie slowly turned her head to look at Dustin, a confused expression claiming her features, yet her cheeks were blushing at the compliment. “Why thank you, I guess.”_

Watching the interaction between the two, Joe slowly chewed his food, listening intently to what Dustin was saying. The moment he complimented Natalie was the moment Joe pushed himself away from the desk. He had to admit, a single spark of jealousy formed.

“Was that all you needed for me, Ms. Jankoski?” Joe asked, stepping towards her.

_Pulling her gaze away from Dustin who was still staring at her, Natalie gave her attention back to Joe. “I believe that was all.”_

_She gathered her belongings and stepped away from the chair. “Deputy.” She nodded her head, bidding him a farewell._

“One moment, Dustin.” Lifting his finger towards Dustin, Joe followed Natalie who was making her way towards the open door.

Exiting the room with her, he closed the door slightly. “I expect to see you in class today.” Joe was stern, but the look on his face proved opposite.

Running his tongue across his lower lip, he leaned forward. “I expect you to go clean up too.” He whispered before leaning away, backing into the door, opening it. “I’ll see you later.”

 


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Relaxing at a bar, Joe and Dustin shoot the shit until an unexpected bar-goer arrives.

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**POV:** Joesphine  
 **Characters:** Joe Merriweather, _Dustin Ayers, Claire Merriweather,_ and everyone’s favorite dog, Duke  
 **Author’s Note** : I present you with everyones new favorite character, Claire Merriweather. This also takes place a day after the last chapter.  
 **Quote:**   “For sucks sake, I should have known better.”

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___**[MASTERLIST](https://fuck-yeah-lets-do-negan-ff.tumblr.com/MasterList) ** _ _ _

____**__**[YSKB MASTERLIST](https://fuck-yeah-lets-do-negan-ff.tumblr.com/post/158116377242/you-should-know-better-in-progress-synopsis-as) ** _ _ ** _ _ _ _

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Tuesday night rolled around and the low humming of people chatting away along with the clinking of bottles and mugs filtered throughout the busy bar.

Working Monday’s and Wednesday’s as a professor and Thursday’s through Sunday’s as an officer, the only real time Joe had the chance to blow off some steam and attempt to relax was on Tuesday’s. However, it still wasn’t enough - both professions began to weigh down on him.

Leaning forward, Joe’s forearms rested against the cool, smooth surface of the wooden bar, his eyes focused on the droplets of condensation that raced down his mug while his ears tuned in and out of the ramblings of Dustin.

_“I’m telling you, Josephine, by the time I get to be your age, I’m either going to be one of those cops that eat donuts all day and has one of those cliche mustaches, whose had five hernias and three slipped disks **or** I’m going to turn in my twenty years, retire, and then teach at a local college because I have nothing better to do with my time like a certain someone I know.” Smirking and side-eying his friend, he gripped his beer bottle, bringing it to his lips and taking a swig from it._

Bringing his mug to his lips, Joe paused, lifting a brow as he turned to look at his friend. “Did you seriously just call me ‘Josephine’?”

_Swallowing, Dustin proudly shook his head. “Out of all the things I just said, you picked up on that?” He asked, his tone playful. “But you’re damn right, I sure did.”_

“No, out of all the things you just said, I picked up on the most important detail.” Finally sipping from the mug, Joe placed it back down, a satisfying ‘ah’ coming from him after swallowing.

_“You know,” Dustin shook a finger at him “you can be a real dick sometimes.”_

Joe grinned, shrugging his shoulders. “It’s one of my hidden talents.” Staring into the mirror behind the bar, Joe watched as Dustin stared right back at him, his head shaking, a smile resting on the younger man’s face.

_Swiveling around, Dustin rested a forearm on the bar while his hand clutched his bottle, resting the container on his thigh. “How’s your office doing?”_

Pretending to be confused, Joe furrowed his brow, his eyes resting on the mug before him. “What do you mean how is my office?”

_“When I surprised you yesterday with coffee and donuts because I am such a good friend, there was this musty odor in there. If you ask me, smelled like sex.” A smug smirk claimed Dustin’s lips before disappearing as he drank from his bottle._

It was almost as if his heart dropped into his stomach after hearing what Dustin had to say. In all honesty, Dustin wasn’t wrong about the smell, but of course, Joe wasn’t willing to admit to the source of the smell. After all, Dustin was under the impression that Joe was 'banging the mom’ of his student and  Joe planned on keeping that impression alive…for now at least.

Joe brought the mug back to his lips, swallowing more of the cold liquid than he expected to - he needed a moment to calm down after Dustin’s comment.

“Smelt like sex?” He questioned, shaking his head. “Because I’m totally having sex in my office, but shit, wait, hold on, who would I be sticking my dick in? My fellow colleagues because that’s the only plausible choice,” his tone sarcastic as can be even though he was lying through his teeth.

_Roughly slapping his shoulder, Dustin burst out in laughter. “Calm down, pal, I’m just busting your balls. No need to get all pissy.” Quieting down, his eyes wandered around the establishment, scanning the occupants. “I mean, it isn’t the **only** plausible choice. Merriweather could be banging a female student **or** you could get with the daughter and the mother, but, that’s kinda weird.”_

With eyes boring into Dustin, Joe bit down on his cheek, slightly annoyed by all the banter.

_Pulling his sights away from the seated crowd, Dustin locked eyes with Joe, his aura suddenly changing_ _. He had much experience with this certain look and he knew he was walking a thin line now. “Or, you know, you could be banging no one at all. You’re not that stupid. You wouldn’t have sex with anyone in your office anyways.”_

“There you go, Dustin, thinking with your head and not your ass. I’m very proud of you, son.” Joe joked, glad the issue was slowly blowing over.

 

* * *

 

Time slowly passed and Joe was on his second mug while Dustin blew threw another two bottles. Joe was due to lecture the following day while Dustin had the day off, allowing for his partner to drink more since he knew Joe would sober enough to drive the both of them home.

_“I’m liking the whole black on black on black combo on you,” Dustin looked over Joe. “You sure look different in a leather jacket and jeans as opposed to your ironed button up and slacks” Flagging down the bartender, he motioned for some shots. “Keep ‘em coming too.”_

Astonished by his stupidity, Joe glanced in his direction. “The fuck you mean? Our uniforms are black…on black…on black.”

Watching as the bartender placed the amber filled glasses before Dustin, Joe shook his head. “You downing those on your own or am I supposed to help?”

_Narrowing his eyes, the blond haired man ran a hand along his cheek. “You’ve got a point. They are black, but you get what I mean.” Downing the last few sips of his beer, he turned his attention to the shots. “Well, you’re driving and have to fill those brains with your precious knowledge tomorrow, so, I don’t expect you to keep up with the young guns, but one, maybe two couldn’t hurt since you can usually hold your alcohol.”_

Sucking on his teeth, it only took a second for Joe to come to his decision - there was no denying that Joe was a fan of alcohol when the chance presented itself. “You’re lucky it’s a Tuesday night and not a Monday night because you know from experience that I’d drink you under the table.”

Pulling a shot towards their bodies, the two men, in harmony, lifted the glasses and downed the amber liquid, repeating the process once more.

_“Now, as a man who attempts to uphold the laws of the land, I’m going to have to strongly advise you that you stop drinking now.” Cocking his head back, Dustin swiveled around in his chair, a chain of laughter cascading out of his mouth. He stared at the door that was slowly being opened, two brunettes and a blonde walked through the door. Shaking his head out, his eyes widened as he focused on the blonde. “Oh fuck,” he whispered under his breath, quickly swiveling back around and lowering his head. “And as a man who is your dearest friend, I **highly** and I mean **highly suggest** that you don’t turn around and that we leave.”_

Sliding the empty glasses away, Joe glanced at Dustin, confused by his comments and his posture - it was like he was trying to hide from someone.

“What do you mean?” He questioned, looking into the mirror, scanning the people behind him only to find no one of interest.

_“Last time I checked, I don’t have a stuttering problem.” Dustin quickly glanced over his shoulder, watching the women chat amongst themselves. “Don’t look to your left.”_

Confused, yet interested by the strange situation, Joe straightened in his stool. “Why? Who’s here?” Taking the responsibility to answer the question on his own, Joe turned to his left, his eyes scanning the bodies until they landed on the person Dustin was more than likely speaking about.

Freezing, Joe watched the woman who he had once called his wife, mingle with her friends. He looked her over, his eyes resting on a ring that claimed the finger he had once claimed with his own. His eyes lingered for just a moment before she turned in his direction. “Oh shit,” he muttered, tearing his sights away from the woman and turning back around.

_“You dumbass,” Dustin scolded, slapping the back of his head. “Told you not to look over there you.”_

Glaring at Dustin, Joe began to grind his teeth, his eyes looking away and at the mirror in his sights.

It was obvious Claire had noticed him, it was apparent since Joe watched in the mirror as she made her way towards him - his body tensing as she inched closer and closer.

> _“Joesph Derek Merriweather.” Claire’s hand glided up his back until it rested on his shoulder. “Surprised to see you here.” Standing between the two seated men, Claire glanced at Dustin. “Nice to see you, Dustin, it’s been a while,” her right hand coming up to pat the man’s shoulder._

Joe winced at Claire’s touch. “Claire,” he whispered, his eyes opening once her hand rested on his shoulder. “By the ring on your finger, guessing you moved on fairly quickly. Hate to say it, but I kind of feel sorry for the bastard that gave it to you.”

> _Removing her hand from Dustin and placing both of them on each of Joe’s shoulders, she leaned into his ear. “Don’t feel sorry for yourself, Joe. You and I are still married.”_

In that exact moment, all the air from Joe’s lungs escaped, it was as if someone decked him right in the ribs. He couldn’t move, he was frozen. He couldn’t speak, he was at a loss for words. He couldn’t blink, his eyes were locked on his reflection in the mirror.

When she leaned away from him, his frozen trance came undone. “Wait, what?” You and I signed the papers a week ago. What the _**fuck**_ do you mean we’re still married. I swear to fucking god, Claire, if you —.”

> _“Don’t even start with the false threats, Joe, I’m far too used to them.” Walking to the empty stool next to him, she took a seat. “But just because we signed them in the presence of each other, doesn’t mean I turned the papers in. We’re still married,” she air quoted ‘married’ “until I do.” She shook her head, false disappointment radiating from her. “Should have been smarter, husband. Should have took the responsibility of turning them in yourself.”_

Covering his face with his hands, Joe slowly shook his head. He couldn’t believe that situation and what she had done. Hopefully, although he lacked any hope in Claire, this was all some sadistic joke she was playing. Sadly, he knew firsthand how much of a conniving, yet clever woman she could be, but this was a whole different level.

“Claire, please, oh, please, tell me that you’re busting my balls right,” his plea was muffled as he slowly moved his hands down his face.

Taking a moment to gather his thoughts, he straightened up, turning to face the blonde. “Look, I know I don’t have much trust in you after everything, but I entrust you to turn those papers in,” he leaned in closer to her, “no, actually, I’m telling you to turn those fucking papers in by the end of this goddamn month. In a few weeks, they will turn void.”

> _Smiling, Claire snaked her hand down, resting it on his thigh._

He quickly glanced down to her hand. “Isn’t that what got you in trouble with me? Placing your hands on me?” He gripped her hand, tossing it up on the bar. “Don’t touch me.” He warned.

> _Ignoring what he had to say, Claire spoke. “I thought you said you were always three steps ahead of people in thirty different directions, but look at that, looks like you’re three steps behind me in only one direction.” Leaning forward, she grabbed one of the shot glasses. “Not as clever as you portray yourself to be.” She smiled, her icy blue eyes locking with his warm hazel ones. “I’ll be seeing you around, my dear husband.” She added, downing the shot, and standing up, pausing before walking away. “And wait, isn’t that what got you in trouble with me? Drinking?” She said almost mockingly as she walked away._

Watching her strut away for a second, Joe slowly turned back around, a shocked and open-mounted Dustin coming into view.

_“Ho-ly shit.” Dustin whispered, a shaky and fake laugh accompanying his response. “What the fuck just happened?” He asked, his eyes still staring at the bar - it was as if he was scared to look up._

Without a single word, Joe reached over, grabbing the four refilled shot glasses.

One after another, Joe downed the liquor until there was no more.  After that, he grabbed his mug and finished it.

Downing one, he grabbed the next. Down two, he grabbed the last. Downing the last shot, he grabbed his mug, finishing the rest of the beer. It all happened in a matter of seconds.

_“Whoa, pal, take it easy.” Dustin placed a hand on Joe’s shoulder, shaking him slightly. “After all that, in a few minutes, you’ll be in no shape to drive. You know, the quicker you drink, the faster the effects come.”_

Joe sat there silently, his face covered by a hand, his eyes closed. Not only on the outside was he fuming, but within, his blood was boiling by the unexpected news.

Digging into his jacket pocket, he searched for his keys, tossing them onto the counter. “Drive,” he muttered to Dustin.

Abruptly taking to his feet, the stool nearly collided with the ground. “Let’s go.” Joe commanded. As he walked away, his eyes locked onto Claire’s until he pull the doors open and walked outside.

 

* * *

 

After a 'fuck’, 'shit’, and 'bitch’ filled ride home, the two men finally pulled into the driveway.

_Helping a disheveled and belligerent Joe out of the Jeep and up the front door, Dustin followed behind the man, ensuring that if he were to stumble over his feet or fall, he would be able to catch him._

_Taking a second to make sure Joe was steady on his feet, Dustin walked around, unlocking the front door and motioning for him to get inside. “You poor bastard,” he muttered, receiving a stern look from Joe._

_As barking filled the house, Dustin calmed Duke. “Calm down, super dog. Dusty boy is here taking care you of daddy because your mommy dropped a bombshell on him at the bar.”_

“I swear, I’ll drop a fucking bombshell on her if she doesn’t fucking turn in those god damn motherfucking papers.” Joe drunkenly babbled as he cautiously entered his own house, using the walls to keep his balance.

“ _Yeah, okay, I’m sure you will. Just take it easy bud.” Entering behind his drunken friend, Dustin kneed away a playful and rowdy Duke. “You take it easy too, you runt. I don’t mind getting scratched up, but I’d rather get scratched by a woman than a dog. Full offense, Duke.”_

Ignoring the two love birds, Joe continued on his way towards the hallway that led to the master bedroom. “Duke, leave him alone, let’s go to bed.” Joe commanded, his speech slurred.

Joe paused to turn and face Dustin one last time. “You can take the couch and spend the night or do whatever, but if you leave, lock the house up. You know where the key is,” he instructed.

_“Aren’t you supposed to offer the guest your bed?” Dustin joked, before walking away and over to the fridge. “I’m kidding.”_

Joe zoned out for a moment, his sights latching onto the wall beside him. It wasn’t until the slamming of the fridge that Joe looked away, shaking the cobwebs out, and nibbling on his lower lip. 

Turning into the hallway, Joe stopped, his eyes scanning over the pictures that littered the wall. It didn’t take long until his eyes rested on the wedding picture. After a moment, he pulled the frame from the wall, throwing it onto the floor, watching as glass spreading across the wood.

The clash forced Dustin to peek into the hallway, a 'fuck’ echoing throughout the silent house.

Clenching his jaw, Joe stepped over the mess, glass crunching under the weight of his body as he entered his room.

Stripping off his jacket, kicking off his boots, and unbuckling his pants, he fell into bed, a groan coming from his lips as he pulled Duke into his body. “For fuck sakes,” He whispered into the fur of his dog. “I should have known better.”


	16. Chapter 16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shooting the shit and talking about his wife, Joe and Dustin get a call to a familiar residence.

* * *

 

**POV:**  Joe  
 **Characters:**  Joe Merriweather,  _Dustin Ayers, Vicky, and Doug._  
 **Warnings:** Even though the call is a domestic, there’s no domestic violence happening. There’s swearing as usual  
 **Quote:**  "Look, I don't need all that, I need the cliff note version."

* * *

* * *

 

_"...But seriously, you look just as shitty as you did yesterday." Dustin muttered with a mouthful of food. "I bet beneath those aviators," he pointed his fork at Joe, "those pretty brown eyes are cozying up with some black bags." Scoffing at his own joke, the man turned away, tossing his utensil into a Tupperware before placing it beside him._

With a deep sigh, a slightly hungover Joe brought a hand up to his face, his fingertips disappearing beneath the frames to rub his tired eyes. "Are you flirting with me?" He questioned, dropping his hand onto the door side. "Because if you are, I'm all for a workplace romance, just don't tell Claire." Turning slowly, he faced his partner, a playful grin gracing his lips.

_"Shit, man, you down for a quickie then? Take this thing to another level?" Dustin leaned out of his window, "We can go behind a building and get frisky in your truck bed. Hell, we can call Claire and let her watch, but two," he raised two fingers, "options come from that. Number one:," he retracted a finger, "having her watch would really rustle her jimmies and then there's number two:," he raised his middle finger again, "she'll love the show so much that she'd want to join, but you see, once we start, I can't share."_

The two men attempted to keep a hint of seriousness to the conversation, but seconds later, laughter erupted from both vehicles. Joe, on one hand, cocked his head back and slapped his hand again his thigh. Dustin, on the other hand, covered his face and shook his head.

_After a few moments of cheerful laughter, Dustin wiped an invisible tear from his cheek as the chuckles turned into scoffs. "On a serious note, how are you? You okay? I know you took Wednesday off from teaching, but have you taken a day off from drinking? My man, have you set the bottle down after the bar room bombshell?"_

Speaking of frisky business in a truck bed, the impending threat Joe's own experience loomed over him. Quickly shaking his head, he stared back at Dustin whose cheeks were red from laughter. "A man's gotta eat, sleep, shit, and shower, right?"

_"He's gotta rub one out every now and then or get some workplace romance, but yeah, I guess you're kind of right?" Dustin answered, slightly confused._

With a quick 'hm', Joe scoffed before speaking. "I'm doing fine. The whole situation is pretty fucking shitty, but it's not the end of the world." Pulling his aviators from his face, Joe tossed them into the adjacent seat. "As for the whole drinking thing. I mean, yeah, I drank that night and the following morning - you left pretty early, so, I drank whatever I had stored away before laying in a puddle of my own pity for the rest of the day."

Shifting in his seat, Joe wrung out his hands. "But don't worry, I'm not like I used to be, I can control my drinking." The tone of the older man was sincere and almost apologetic as both men slowly stared at each other, locking eyes, and exchanging a single nod - both well aware of the sensitivity of the topic.

Looking away, Joe turned in his seat, opening the center console and retrieving a crossword puzzle. "Plus, even if I wanted to drink from sunrise to sunset for the last three days, I couldn't since I'm stuck with your ass for half the day."

_Listening intently to the man, Dustin watched as people walked around the shopping plaza. "Hey, now," Dustin exclaimed, snapping back to look at Joe. "If you want my ass for the other half of the day, you can have it. Hell, maybe even take shifts, whatever floats your boat and whatever makes you happy."_

Rolling his eyes as far back as he could, an exasperated sigh fell from Joe's lips as he shook his head.

_"Okay, okay, tell me, if drinking and the bombshell aren't the issues, then what is it?" Dustin asked, picking up on the man's slight annoyance._

"You're right, drinking isn't the issue, but the bombshell is." Placing the puzzle on his lap, Joe pulled his black-rimmed glasses from the dashboard cubby. "You see, I was able to deal with the stresses of teaching, policing, and Claire leaving, but since she's back in the picture, like, I know it's only been a few days, but damn...," Joe shook his head as if he was punched square in the face, "it's like everything just fell onto me at once." Pausing, he placed his glasses on. "Either that or I'm just now realizing my stress."

_Watching the older man brought the puzzle to rest on the steering wheel, Dustin bit down on his lower lip. "Well," he began, releasing his lip, "the best thing to do is cut out that stress. You see, Claire is the cause to this effect and we both know that's the best starting point - cut the bitch out and pry those papers from her hands, that's if she was serious about that thing." Dustin stared intently at his partner, searching for any sign of emotion. "And if you want, take some time off from teaching the younglings."_

"You just want me to stick around, now don't you?" Joe teased, his sights never breaking from the paper.

_"You caught me there!" Dustin defensively raised his hands before dropping them. "I already lost my wife to a much more civil and clean divorce, but losing you?" Dustin sucked his teeth and squinted his eyes. "Couldn't do it. Can't lose my other lover," he jested._

With his eyes locked into the puzzle, Joe pointed the pen at the blond. "I knew it," he shook his head, "keeping me around for your own selfish needs." He shook his head as if he was disappointed before switching back to the real topic. "But yeah, I'll be doing that - the whole cutting, prying, and taking a break thing."

_"Speaking about doing it, how are you and the mom? I'm assuming she knows about the whole divorce slash marriage thing, but does she know about the recent stuff? If not, do you plan on telling her?"_

Slowly tearing his gaze from the puzzle, Joe absentmindedly watched the cars on the road before him before slowly transitioning his sights onto Dustin. Fingers began to mindlessly tap against the paper as the scenario of telling Natalie played in his mind.

With his mouth slightly agape, he returned to his puzzle. "No," he answered firmly, "I don't plan on telling her because it's not her fight to fight and there's absolutely no need to involve another party into an already messy situation."  He paused for a moment, running a hand along his cheek. "Plus, I'm not romantically involved with her. Like, I'm involved because we've had sex and all that shit, but romantically?" Joe scoffed a single time. "No, not at all. At least, for the time being."

Just as his younger counterpart was about to answer, the crackling of the radio broke through.

Grateful for the interruption, Joe finished writing an answer before returning the puzzle to its rightful resting place.

Listening to the radio and reading the print that popped up on the computer, the information of the call was revealed - it was a domestic situation at a residence Joe was quite familiar with, resulting in him taking on the call.

"Speaking of stress, looks like my favorite love birds are at it again." Joe jested as he brought the truck to life.  "I need you to tag along because Doug isn't a fan of me." He ordered before driving off.   
  


* * *

 

 

The once silent wooded area came to life with the sound of tires rolling over gravel and inching closer to the residence.

Scanning the area, brown eyes hopped from parked cars to a puppy chained near a dog house and eventually up to the trailer where a woman was smoking a cigarette.

With the truck coming to a stop, Joe removed the keys from the ignition and hopped out, clasping the keys onto his belt and slamming the door shut.

Adjusting his utility belt, he made his way over to Dustin. "Every time I come here, I have three issues. Issue one: Doug is usually intoxicated. Issue two: Doug usually goes to jail. And issue three: that poor dog is always chained there. I’m telling you, next time I come out here, I’m taking it home with me.    

> _“Any day is a good day when I see Officer Merriweather." The woman yelled from the porch, watching as the two men approached the dwelling._

Saluting Vicky with a cordial smile, Joe detoured and walked towards the dog. Upon reaching the pooch, he knelt and welcome the friendly kisses. "I think she means bad day, but who knows." Joe whispered to the dog.  

> _“Listen, hun, I called you to take Doug to jail, not to play with my dog." The woman took a drag from her cigarette. "It's the same old situation, so, take him and go."_

Taking to his feet, Joe left the dog’s side and made his way up the stairs. "'Same old situation', huh?" Resting on the last step, he continued. "You guys aren't even married, so, go to court, evict him, get a restraining order, and press charges. Boom...," Joe clapped his hands once, the sound echoing throughout the area, "Problem solved. No more 'same old situation'."

> _"I also didn't call for you to give me advice, I called ---."_

_"You called us to handle your issue and arrest whoever. Yes, we get it, but we can't just waltz in and take him. You gotta explain what happened; give us a reason." Dustin interrupted, annoyance running high in his tone._

Taken back by Dustin's comment, Joe exchanged a glance with the man. "Kid’s got a point." He admitted, shifting on the wooden steps. "Now why don't you tell us what happened." Joe said sternly, retrieving a pen and notepad from his pocket.

With raised brows, the woman glared at Dustin, the two of them engaging in a battle of eye contact. "Look, I'd love to have this contest, but to be quite honest, we've got better things to do, like figuring out what happened."

> _“I'm not a fan of you, Officer...," she leaned in, reading the name on his tag. "D. Ayers."_

_"It's okay, ma'am, I don't get paid to be liked nor to have fans. I get paid to enforce the law and handle issues."_

Stepping onto the porch, Joe situated himself between the two bodies. "Stop it." He ordered, glancing over his shoulder. "Both of you." He cautioned his partner before turning back to Vicky. "Tell me what happened."

> _Faking a laugh, Vicky discarded her cigarette. "I come home from work and this lousy sack of shit is sprawled out on the couch, surrounded by a mess of cigarette butts, beer cans, and TV dinners...," taking to her feet, she approached the duo, "anyways, I start bitchin' at him to get a job, he starts bitchin', and even the dog starts bitchin'. It's not even that ---"_

Looking up from his paper, Joe rolled his head, cracking his neck. "Look, I don't need all that, I need the cliff note version."  Peering through the screen door, Joe noticed Doug getting up. "Tell me, did he hit you? Do you have bruises? If you answer 'yes' to any of these questions, explain to me why verbal turned into physical."

Casting a glance over his shoulder, Joe motioned towards the door, resulting in Dustin approaching it and Joe staring back at Vicky.

> _"No and no, but he's drunk and I want him ---."_

Joe raised his hand to stop her. "Listen, you have experience with this type of situation after my last visit. If Doug is just drinking and laying on the couch, doing nothing, well, he isn't committing a crime. You didn't hit him. He didn't hit you. Just leave the drunk alone. Now, if it's a physical altercation, then call us, we'll be happy to handle it, but right now, our hands are tied."

The opening of the front door forced Joe to look at the incoming party member. "Surprise, we're back for the second time this month." Joe deadpanned, watching as the man stood in the doorway.

> "Sorry, popo, can't come in. Don't wanna catch swine flu, not after last time." Doug insulted, ignoring the greeting and poking Joe in the chest twice.

Taking a step back, Joe glanced at Dustin before clasping his hands over his crotch. "Doug, I've been nice and have always worked with you, but right now, I'm going to strongly advise you to not poke me because the cordial attitude I have is going to go out the window and you're going to get an attitude you don't like."

Eyeing the man, Joe watched as he dug his hands into his jean shorts. "Going to have to advise you keep your hands out of your pockets, too."

> "What are you going to do? Shoot me?" The man asked with a scoff as he took his hands out and lifted them.

Annoyed, Joe dropped his head, his eyes lingering on the wooden panels for a moment. "Yeah, because that's what we do. That's what we do. We shoot people."

Coming into the situation, annoyance and lack of patience was running high for the officer - partly due to his slightly hungover state and the stress that was constantly running through his mind - but with that comment, tension in the air slowly began to rise.

"Am I grabbing for my gun? Do you see it out? " Joe questioned, snapping up to look at the disgruntled man who answered him with a slurred 'no'.

"Just calm down, pal. Everything was going smooth until you came out. Hell, we weren't even going to take you away, but keep it up and I might have a change of heart - I'd hate to drag you out and scuffle with you like last time."

> "You ain't nothing but a badge and a couple of pussies."

Pressing his lips together only for him to bare his teeth a second later, Joe rested his hands his belt while glancing up to the darkening sky. "You know what? Go ahead and put your hands behind your back. You're under arrest for breach of peace."

With the man obeying his commands and letting a string of derogatory insults and curses fall from his drunken lips, Joe cuffed him, searching his body just a seconds later.

> "Watch, I'll be out tonight or tomorrow. Just wait and see."

Pushing the man forward, the three men made their way down the steps and towards Dustin's SUV. "Yeah, you very well may be."

> "Yeah?," the man asked, whipping his head around to look at the officer, "Well, you very well might lose a loved one."

"What's that mean?" Pulling the man back, forcing him to stop, Joe watched as he stumbled over his feet, nearly falling onto the gravel. "Threatening the life of a police officer, nice job on tacking on another charge."

_Approaching the door to his cruiser, Dustin reached out to open the door, only for a mouthful of spit to land on the handle._

> "Whoops, I meant to spit on the ground." Doug sassed, a grin on his face.

In an instant, flesh met steel as Joe pressed his body up against the drunk, squishing him against steel and flesh. "Double D - Difficult Doug, that's your new name. Every time you're in cuffs, you've gotta bust my balls. If you could just coorporate, things would be easy peasy."

Pulling away, Joe dragged the man backwards, careful with his steps, he made his way over to the adjacent side of the car.

> "I'll be seeing you again, trust me. What's your name?" Doug asked as he was pushed into the backseat.

"Too drunk to even remember my name." Joe scolded, "Don't worry, it will be on the warrant and report."

> "Be on your tombstone, too."

Ignoring the threat, Joe slammed the door closed. "See, I told you he wasn't a fan of me." Joe chuckled, walking over to Dustin, patting the man on the back. "The perks of having no cage - I don't have to listen to assholes on the way to the station."

 


	17. Chapter 17

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After asking Dustin for a favor, Joe arrives home to a surprise.

* * *

**POV:**  Joe  
 **Characters:**  Joe Merriweather,  _Dustin Ayers, Claire Merriweather_  
 **Author’s Note** : After over four months of not writing, I present you with the best Joe Merriweather fic out there. The majority of this chapter is driven by dialogue. I really have to get into the swing of things again. I didn’t get this beta’d or read over, so have fun reading and excuse any typos.  
 **Quote:** " _You trying to intimidate me has as much luck as a crack whore turning down crack – you see, it’s just not going to work.”_

* * *

 

* * *

 

“Dustin, buddy, just listen to me for a second.” Despite driving down the desolate road with no passengers, Joe spoke and gesticulated his hands as if someone sat beside him. “Ever since we’ve become brothers, I’ve done a lot of favors for you, like a lot, whether they be in a personal or professional sense, and most of the time I’ve done so without questions or complaints, but the  ** _one_**  time,” Joe raised his index finger before clenching his hand on the steering wheel, “the  ** _one_** time I fucking ask you to come to one of my classes and hang around for a bit, you decide to keep me hanging.”

Just as expected, a moment of silence flowed throughout the Jeep, the only audible noise was the outside rumbling of the engine, pulling the vehicle forward.

As compared to most other times, instead of reveling in the solace of the silence, Joe knew, at least to his own thinking, silence had no chair at this table.

With a long exhale that was accompanied with a shake of his head and a roll of his eyes, Joe spoke yet again. “Usually the hardest part of communicating is listening, but you’re doing a damn good job right now.”

_“Look, Joe, if you want me to be completely truthful, I don’t wanna do it.” The man’s annoyance laced voice finally booming through the speakers. “Plus, I don’t even have the free time to do that - I picked up an extra shift to get that good ol’ fat overtime check like I did yesterday.”_

Fully prepared for the answer and excuse, Joe smacked his tongue along the roof of his mouth. “Oh, Dustin,” Joe whispered under his breath in a disappointing tone, “of course, I want you to be truthful and I appreciate the truthfulness, but that’s not the answer I want to hear, and I would really hate to intimidate or force you into this by threat or guilt.”

_A booming laugh traveled throughout the speakers, forcing Joe to lower the volume. “You? Intimidate and force me? God, Joe, that’s one of the better jokes you have **ever**  told. Seriously, you should look into a career in comedy because that shit has me almost pissing my pants.” The burly laughs turned into nothing more than a few chuckles. “You trying to intimidate me has as much luck as a crack whore turning down crack – you see, it’s just not going to work.”_

With raised eyebrows, Joe straightened in his seat as a mix of shock and dismay claimed his features. There was no doubt, that what Dustin had just said was true, but to an extent. In the eyes of most people, whether they share a level of intimacy or not, Joe could be a pushover and claim the title of an easy, calm, and docile soul, but nevertheless, there were times where it was necessary for him to assert his dominance and this was one of the occasions.

Narrowing his sights on the road before him, Joe cleared his throat. “Tell me, Dustin, since I assume you’re currently on patrolling prostitution lane due to your little joke, I take it that you’re in your vehicle since you’re on your phone.”

_Not only did the dinging of the laptop notification confirm Joe’s assumption, there was also a verbal confirmation. “Prostitution lane is my favorite place to be – you know, deterring crime, getting a show, and other shit. But anyways, why do you ask?”_

“Good, because I want you to do a couple of things in order to put our professional relationship into perspective. Don’t worry, though, you can do all of this in the comfort of your seat and I’ll be sure to say my orders in a nice, clear, and slow manner.”

_There was a delay in Dustin’s response, but it came sooner rather than later. “What the fuck?,” he questioned, “professional relationship into perspective?,” the man asked, repeating Joe’s underlying threat, “what kind of bullshit mind games are you –.”_

Interrupting the rambling of confusion, the orders began to flow. “Shut up and listen very intently to me – what I want you to do first, is to look around that SUV.  Go ahead and take a second to revel in the smell of that vehicle – I know you usually have a citrus smelling air freshener, so take a nice, deep whiff of that.” Joe paused for a moment, allowing the man to do what he was ordered. “Next, go right on ahead and run your hand along your thick, worn-in utility belt until you come along your cuffs.  When you find your first pair, let the coldness of the steel spread across your skin. Once that happens, glance to your right and admire that shotgun that’s stationed in its holster – it’s a pretty view, isn’t it?” Yet again, another pause came. “Lastly, peel away those sunglasses and take a nice, long look in that rearview mirror, but make sure you get a glimpse of that beautiful cage that’s right behind you.”

There was no doubt that the orders pouring out from Joe’s mouth, were, in some ways, strangely sensual and sexual. “Do you know why I want you doing these things?”

_“I have no fucking clue what kind of bullshit you’re trying to do, but it sure sounds like you’re trying to have some strange, kinky session of phone sex with me and although I appreciate the attempt, I don’t want to rub another one out in the car right now.” An attempt to cut through the tension that was radiating from the other end of the phone was made, but ultimately, all attempts failed._

“Phone sex is usually my thing, but right now, with you, it’s not my thing,” Joe admitted, allowing for the comment to cut just a sliver of tension away. “But anyways, I want you aware of how much you’ll be missing that SUV when your ass is on desk duty. I want you to also be aware of who owns  ** _you_**. I want you fully aware that  ** _I am_** your superior when you’re sitting in that car.  ** _I_  **command  ** _you_**  and  ** _you_** listen to  ** _me._** ”

Yes, in the eyes of both Joe and Dustin, the whole speech was a threat in a sole effort to assert dominance, but truth be told, it was more than likely an empty threat that would never happen.

Turning onto his street and eyeing his empty driveway, Joe listened as a defeated sigh sounded through the speakers.

The smile that began to claim his features was a direct result of Dustin’s submissiveness.  Deep down, both of the men knew that the older, more experienced man would come out on top. “Remember, Deputy Dustin Ayers, I own your uniformed ass when I deem fit.”

_“So that’s how it’s going to be? You’re hitting below the belt with your low blows, aren’t you? Pulling the whole ‘I can tell you what to do because I’m your superior and you are required to listen to me without any resistance’ card.”_

“You’re damn fucking right I am.” Joe asserted, nodding his head. “You see, when certain circumstances arise, I’ll fucking pull that card and put it to good use. It’s a rare occasion when I do that, but when I do, things usually pan out in my favor, am I right?” His voice dropping, becoming more threatening.

_Thankful for the commencement of radio traffic, Dustin listened intently before it died down. “Fine, fine fine,” he repeated as if he were a broken record. “I’ll think about it, but no promises, but tell me, when is it? Where is it? What time would I need to come? How long would I have to stay? And what would I have to speak about?”_

Although the answer was neither a definite yes not a definite no, the older man was content since he knew, that deep down, Dustin would appear and help him out.

“Look on the bright side, think of it as a sort of community policing and getting an eye on some future colleagues,” a string of low mockingly chuckles panned out before the answers commenced.

“Next Wednesday which is a week from now. Ugh,” Joe went quiet for a moment, visualizing the shift in times to accommodate the exam week. “Let’s see, you can come at four and we’ll shoot the shit in my office for a bit before going into the class – if you do that, you’ll be there for about three hours.  As for the last question, feel free to talk about whatever the fuck you want – everyone there is grown and knows what that line of work entails. And don’t worry, I’ll talk to whatever supervisor overseeing your shift – which I believe is Schultz – and tell her what’s going on.”

Pulling into his driveway, fully unaware of the events that were about to unfold, Joe brought the Jeep to a halt.

_“Talk about whatever?” Dustin repeated. “You sure about that? You’re not going to put any restrictions on anything? Might end up regretting that.” Dustin jokingly teased._

Glancing over at his truck, Joe fiddled with the garage door opener that rested in one of the cupholders. “Man, you know what I mean – tell some stories, crack some jokes, do whatever the fuck, but if I have to cut you off from rambling too much or getting too deep, I’ll do so.” Pressing the button on the garage door opener, Joe turned his attention to the door. “You’ve seen some of these people before, so just bust their balls a bit. Make fun of them. Tease them. Don’t worry —.”

Suddenly, with just enough space to see into the garage, Joe noticed a car in his spot.  Resting in the garage was a black Mercedes, a color matching the coldness and blackness of the person who owned it.

A string of derogatory slurs and disrespectful curses filled the confined area before Joe abruptly said a goodbye to his partner, closing the call before the man could say anything.

With anger pulsing throughout his veins, Joe hopped out of the vehicle, nearly forgetting to shut it off and put it in park before storming into the garage.

With long and heavy strides, it took just a few steps before Joe was before the door, pushing it open and catching the handle just inches before it crashed into the wall behind it.

The smell of steak frying in a pan filled his nostrils.  The sounds of sizzling meat pierced his ears. The sight of Claire standing before the stove in a pair of heels, tight jeans, and a black shirt filled his vision.

It was almost as if his loud entrance went unnoticed by the woman – she continued to calmly stand before the stove, tending to the meat.

“Ugh, are you fucking deaf or are you stupid?” Joe called out, slamming the door shut.

               _Gently placing the fork down, Claire slowly turned to face the man who was dressed in a full-blown black on white suit. “No, I can hear you loud and clear and since I can hear you loud and clear, there is no need to get loud because, you know, my ears are fine. Also, no, I’m not stupid either because here I am, in our house, cooking us a nice dinner. If anything, I’m a nice person, not a stupid one.” Claire sassed, watching as the enraged man stopped just feet away from her._

With squinted eyes, Joe quickly looked her over before locked eyes with her. “Our house? A nice dinner? Nice person?” Joe falsified a laugh, “you were always one to have a shitty and dry sense of humor, but looks like a lot can change over the course of a few months.” Taking a small step forward, Joe lowered himself just slightly. “Cut the shit and tell me how the fuck you got in in  ** _my_** house and why the fuck you are in  ** _my_** house.”

_Holding up a finger, Claire turned back around, giving the steak one last flip and baste before turning off the stove. “I thought you were always three steps ahead of people in thirty different directions.” Claire mocked. “If you’re that smart why don’t **you** tell me why I’m here then.” Turning around, cold, blue eyes stared relentlessly at brown squinted ones.              _

_She waited a moment to see if he would answer, but as expected, Joe remained quiet, leading for her to answer the questions for him. “You must have either known or hoped that I would come back because you never changed the locks or the codes – either that, or you forgot to do it, but you aren’t a man to forget things.” She paused for a moment, searching his face for any minor changes. “As for why I’m here,” she tilted her head slightly, tearing her eyes from his, gazing past him, “well, I would be lying if I said I knew the answer to that.”_

Silence began to envelop the room – on one hand, Claire stood there with her eyes latching onto the space beside Joe, awaiting a response from him and on the other hand, Joe turned a cold shoulder to her, his head dropping, and a hand coming up to rub the side of his bearded cheek.

It seemed as if an eternity passed with neither of the parties daring to break the streak of silence.

Strangely, for Joe, it seemed as if this small moment of time, particularly the layout of the conversation and the silent interactions between the two, rang a bell in his mind, serving as a sort of deja-vu.  The underlying tension in the air, the wandering glances, the shoulder-turning-head-dropping-cheek-rubbing-disappointment, and not to mention, the smell of cooked steak, all took him back to the moment Claire sat him down, told him she was leaving him for another man, and explained how she wanted a divorce.

Letting his hand run up from his cheek and into his hairline, Joe cocked his head back, letting out a long sigh before resting his sights on her again. It was almost as if she was frozen in time for she had yet to move an inch.

The view of his wife didn’t last long before he turned away and walked towards the cabinet. Reaching out, he opened the white surface, retrieved a glass, and gently closed the door.

This situation called for a drink.

Examining the small array of liquor bottles, he had restocked after drinking a day or two of his life away, Joe opted for the usual.

Pouring out the amber liquid of a Jack Daniels bottle, he was careful to pour no more than the usual amount before placing the bottle back into its respected spot.

Finally, turning around, glass in hand, Joe spoke “Well, if you won’t say it, I’ll say it for you: you’re fucking lying.” He then proceeded to take a sip.

Not only did the burning liquid ignite a small fire within him, but it seemed as if a fire started within Claire as well.

               _Whipping around, a shocked, yet flushed-face Claire locked eyes with him. “I’m lying?,” she questioned almost in dismay as she brought a hand to her chest, “No, no, no, Joe, **you’re** lying,” she rebutted, waving a finger at him, “and I would like it if you didn’t use your little police-reverse psychology-interrogation questioning-bullshit tactics on me.”_

Placing the glass beside him, Joe raised his arms up defensively, “Look, I work with people all day long and I can sense and smell a lie from a mile away. Not only that, but I know  ** _for a damn fact_** that no one in the right mind just happens to show up in their ex-spouse, but apparently in our fucked-up case, their spouses, house without telling them and just ‘doesn’t know why they are there.’” Joe pulled his eyebrows together, letting out a fake chuckle. “If you ask me, that’s breaking and entering which is a crime and not only that, but it’s a shit move on your part.” Lowering his arms, he leaned against the counter.

               _Weighing her options, Claire battled with wanting to continue the bickering match the two of them were engaging in and wanting to cut the shit and get down to business with or without the help of some seduction on her part. “Yeah?” She asked, ignoring the majority of his reply. “And what are you going to do, whip out those cuffs we often put to good use and take me to jail?”_

_There was a handful of distance between the two, on one hand Joe continued to lean against the counter while Claire stood in the middle of the kitchen. She blatantly gave him a look over and in that moment, just like many others, she once again realized that there was no doubt that she still felt a level of attraction towards the man. In this moment, she wanted to approach him and loop her fingers through the visible belt loops on his slacks and him towards, but not only was it too early for that, but also far too dangerous – dangerous not in the terms of its true definition, but dangerous in the terms of not wanting to overstep the boundaries. In addition to wanting to approach him, she wanted to manipulate him, but they both knew that Joe was too smart for that now, especially after how things panned out over the last few months – any attempt at persuasion, seduction, or manipulation would more than likely fall apart._

Digging his hands into his pockets, Joe dropped his head, a laugh slipping through his lips, breaking his façade. “No,” he answered, leaning off the counter, “I’m not going to use the cuffs on you nor am I going to take you anywhere.” He finished, another laugh escaping before finishing off the rest of the amber liquid. “But you know what we are going to do?” He asked, placing the glass down as he proceeded to open the cupboard again.

               _Tilting her head and narrowing her eyes, she watched as the man retrieved a set of plates. “What’s that?” She questioned, knowing fully, or at least to some extent, what his answer would be._

Without answering right away, he walked before the stove and instantly a frown claimed his lips at the sight. “Well, since you cooked only  ** _one_** steak – who cooks just a single steak when you break into someone else’s house -, we’re going to split this sucker, sit down, and have a nice and cordial discussion as to why you’re here.”

* * *

 

Moments later, the two of them sat down at the dining table, half a steak and a glass of wine placed out before them. After exchanging a smile and a longing glance, Joe went to pick up his knife before Claire reached out and stopped him.

_“Before we do anything, I’m going to lay this,” Claire quickly dug into her pocket, pulling out a golden band along with a black and blue band - the one Joe wore while on duty - before settling it down on the table, “and this down,” she then pulled out her own wedding ring and band, “and by the end of this discussion, dinner or even the end of the night, I want both of us to know whether we should put these back on or keep them off.”_


	18. Chapter 18

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With new realizations coming out between Joe, Dustin, and Natalie, relationships may begin to shift. (Wow, that was horrible.)

**POV:**  Joe  
 **Characters:**  Joe Merriweather,  _Dustin Ayers (italics), Natalie Jankoski (indented italics),_ Classmates (indented normal text)  
  
 **Author’s Note** : Okay, so, like, I don’t even know the last time I wrote dialogue and interaction with Nat, so, it might be a bit rusty and a bit too sassy and banter-ish, but it’s all good since our girl has made an appearance for now. Also, I started getting lazy when it came to Dustin speaking in class and students interaction, but sorry not sorry. Anyways, I don’t really get my stuff proofed anymore, so it is what it is. NO more beta’d shit - whoop whoop. C.W. - Concealed Weapon  
 **Quote:** “The world needs assholes otherwise where else would the shit come from?”

* * *

 

* * *

 

Pellets of rain, which resembled miniature bullets, repeatedly crashed against the window for what seemed like hours. The harsh rains were accompanied by even harsher winds that relentlessly battered not only the trees but the windows – often rattling the blinds and glass with every strong gush.

The storm, which was nothing out of the ordinary for the Spring season, plagued the city with a haunting and darkened sky.

_“Shitty day, isn’t it?” Dustin questioned despite having stuffed the remaining of his burger into his mouth just seconds before. “To be quite honest,” he began, pausing to chew and swallow the food, “I’m kind of glad you threatened and then guilt tripped me into being your own personal show and tell presentation for the day,” wandering blue eyes continued to scan the many pictures and accomplishments that littered the dark room, “rather be in here all dry and warm than be out there all cold and wet.”_

Taking a break from his occupation of looking through the various tabs and emails that littered his desktop screen, Joe flicked his eyes up from the only source of illumination and over to the man who seemed to be fascinated with the items on the wall.

A single, throaty groan was the only source of sound that came from Joe – it served as a sort of reply and a chance to clear his throat. Taking another moment to ignore the comment, Joe began to look over the man as he had done countless times before. Dustin, a tall, broad-shouldered, muscular, blond hair, blue-eyed man, was dressed in his normal uniform attire – black books, black pants, black shirt with was bulked up with his bulletproof vest, a fully loaded duty belt, his classic sheriff logo baseball hat, and if it wasn’t for the darkroom, a pair of black Oakley’s would be covering his eyes.

“Well, I suggest that you get used to it since the forecast predicts nothing but rainy weather for the next couple of days.” Finally breaking through his side of silence and pulling his sights from the man, Joe leaned back as far back as he could in his chair before taking to his feet.

_“Isn’t that just amazing?” A sarcastic and unenthused tone took hold of the man who was now turning to face Joe, who was beginning to peek through the blinds. “I remember this one time where the weather was like this and I got called out to a domestic or whatever, but anyways, I get there and the dude who just beat the shit out of his wife decides to take off.”_

_Accompanying his friend, Dustin pulled back the adjacent blinds and stared into the darkened world. “Remind you, it was raining for the past few days, so, like, this raggedy ass, backwoods, Texas-motherfucking-chainsaw-massacre house was just mud, dirt, and soggy ass grass everywhere. Anyways, in the end, I get the guy and were wrestling around in the mud for a minute before backup comes rushing over. By that time, he’s covered in shit– which may have been actual shit – and so am I.” Shaking his head, blue eyes bounced between all the scurrying people who were becoming the victim of the weather. “It was like wrestling a pig in a pigpen which resulted in a load of mud, dirt, and shit in the back of my cage and uniform.”_

Pulling away from the window just as a flash of lightning illuminated the sky, Joe leaned up against the wooden desk. “Is that the  _dirtiest_ thing you’ve done on duty or the  _dirtiest_ thing you’ve had in the back of your car?” The emphasis on the word  _‘dirty´_ gave way for the conversation to lead elsewhere.

_“No, the dirtiest encounter was someone purposely shitting and pissing themselves while being transported.” Copying the earlier actions of the older man, Dustin turned away from the window and leaned against the wall. “That wasn’t even the worst part, though. I got the shitty end of the stick – literally – because after going through the whole intake process, I had to clean out the back of my cruiser and then go clean myself of the wretched stench.” Listening to the muffled laughs of his friend, the younger man began to get slightly embarrassed and defensive. “Stop laughing at my pain, you ass.” Rolling his eyes, Dustin shook his head. “Not only was I out of service for the rest of the night, but it was by far one of the nastiest things I’ve been part of, but what about you? What’s one of your dirtiest experiences? I don’t expect you to have anything too good since you drive around in that stupid ass fucking truck.”_

Obeying his friend’s plea to an extent, muffled laughs turned into a wide and almost mocking smile. “One: don’t diss the truck,” Joe began as he made his way around his desk and towards the front of the room, “It was good while it lasted and had its perks like the inability to transport people and the perk of not having people piss and shit in it. I say all this since a certain someone – me – is upgrading from the truck to a brand-new Charger.”

Flicking a switch, both men squinted as a result of the harsh, bright lights. “Two: you, my friend, are extremely wrong in what you assumed. Not only have I had my fair share of dirty encounters that come with the job, but I’ve had a handful of less than professional dirtier encounters that don’t necessarily come with the job.”

_Idle hands that were once resting on his belt were no longer idle as a single hand came up and covered his mouth. “You dirty fucking pig - and I say that as a joke and as an insult - you were talking about dirty-dirty things, weren’t you? No wonder you put so much emphasis on it.”_

Defensibly raising his hands, Joe backed himself against the door. “Don’t even start with that shit. I bet if I take a black light to your uniform and car, there would be more semen on and in there than in a sperm bank. Dustin,” lowering his hands and gripping the door handle with one, Joe continued, “you need to get yourself someone who can keep up with your sex drive. With all the shit you tell me, you’re like a fucking rabbit – literally.”

_“Well, you wanna do it? We could give it a try sometime.” Both the question and comment should be subjected to clarification and as Dustin watched Joe slowly turn the handle, he could see the man expression switch from a playful to a mixture of shock and confusion._

“Wait, what?” Joe questioned, his brows furrowing and his head tilting just the slightest.

_“What?” Dustin asked as if he had no clue what the source of Joe’s confusion was. “Hey, but since we’re talking about dirty things -  what’s up with that thing on your finger? Meant to ask you that a few days ago, but never got around to it.”_

Knowing Dustin for as long as he could remember, Joe knew when the man was attempting to quickly switch up the conversation, and right now, was one of those times.

Deciding to pursue the question and comment at a later time, Joe dropped his gaze down to the gold wedding band that claimed his finger. “Kind of self-explanatory, isn’t it?” There was a sort of irony to his tone considering that the wedding band, in fact, was far from self-explanatory in terms of why he was wearing it again.

_“No, Joe, it isn’t,” Dustin said frankly, his eyes shifting to look out into the buzzing hallway which contained handfuls of students waiting outside their professor’s offices. “I want to know the story as to why you’re wearing it again.”_

Tearing his gaze from the ring and resting it on his watch, Joe quickly read the time. “Well, I would love to chat about the non-stop make-up sex and the whole coming together story Claire and I had, but we have to get going since we’re already late.”

* * *

 

Minutes later and under the cover of the walkway awning, both men cautiously made their way towards the building that was directly across from their previous location.

The conversations the two men had were nothing more than small talk before Dustin pointed someone out.

_“Hey, isn’t that **the**  daughter right there?” He questioned, nodding in the direction of the student running from her car and under the awning._

Squinting as if it would aid in getting a better look at the girl who was wearing a black jacket and a pair of jeans, Joe’s expression changed slightly after realizing that it was Natalie.

In a stern voice, Joe called her name, resulting in her stopping, and turning in her tracks to face the two men.

_With a slightly bug-eyed expression, Dustin subtly shook his head. “Well, isn’t this awkward,” he muttered under his breath, his pace slowing slightly, “Joe, if you two are going to talk, I want no part of that awkwardness. I can practically already feel it forming.”_

Playfully elbowing the man, Joe gave a not-so-playful glare. “Look, there’s not an ounce of awkwardness between she and I and the only way things will become awkward is if you make them awkward,” he warned.

With a friendly smile, Joe stopped before her, giving her a look over. “You look like you just woke up and I’m guessing that’s why you’re late to my class.” Joe joked, despite it coming off far sterner than he intended.

               _Upon hearing the greeting, if one could call it a greeting, Natalie’s mouth became agape despite the corner of her lips attempting to form a sort of smile. “Well, professor, the real question is why are **you**_ _late to class despite being on campus for most of the day?” In contrast to Joe’s initial greeting, Natalie’s remark was more lighthearted._

_“Oh, shit, Joe,” Dustin interjected, glancing between the two, “she got you there – using that reverse psychology and shit on you.” Pulling his hat off and running a hand through his damp hair, Dustin settled his full attention on Joe. “But hey, I need to head back to my car really quick since I forgot my business cards and I need my windbreaker if we’re going to continue having this amazing conversation out here in the freezing rain.” Before Joe could even conjure up a reply, Dustin turned on his heel and headed straight into the rain._

Throughout the whole ordeal, Joe steadily kept his gaze on Natalie who was switching her sights between Dustin and himself. For a moment, he wondered how she would react to the news of what was going on in his life that would ultimately end up affecting her in some way.  

Lingering a moment longer and conjuring up a somewhat evil plan, Joe peeled his gaze away and called after Dustin, resulting in the man stopping mid-step in the rain. “While you’re out there, get my business cards and bring them in – I’ll wait for you outside the room.” Digging into his pocket, Joe pulled out his keys, tossing them over to the man. “Glove compartment, but watch out, I got my C.W. in there.”

               _Catching a glimpse of a new, but old addition on one of Joe’s fingers, Natalie shifted on her feet. On one hand, the impulsive side of her yelled at her to question him about the golden band that had reclaimed his finger, but on the other hand, the more calm and thoughtful side of her urged her to keep quiet and inquire about the ring at a later time._

_Deciding to do a mixture of both, Natalie spoke. “Looks like you also brought in that ring – should have kept that in your glove compartment.” With a slack jaw and a grave set of blue eyes, Natalie peered up at Joe._

Inhaling deeply, hazel eyes rolled up to set their sights on the underside of the awning.

After a moment, he exhaled as he pulled his gaze down from the ceiling. “I know what you’re thinking, but not now, not here, okay?”

               _“Later? We’ll talk about it later, right?”_

Although Natalie’s tone was soft and questioning, her expression was nothing more than stone-cold neutrality. Before even answered, Joe searched her eyes and face for any signs of what she could really be experiencing behind her neutral façade, but even after years of reading people’s non-verbal interactions and expressions, Joe simply couldn’t crack her for she was a hard person to read at times.

Sighing once more, Joe nodded his head, “yes, I promise we will discuss this, but for now, lets’ just get inside and out of this rain.

* * *

 

Upon reaching the classroom, Joe took a moment to peer into the room and at the students who were quietly waiting.

               _“Joe, before I go in there, I want to know one thing.” Standing tall, she waited for Joe to turn and look at her before continuing._

Turning to look down the hallway after hearing squeaking footsteps, Joe stared down at her after realizing it was Dustin who was the culprit of the sound. “And what is that?”

               _“Did you lie to me?”_

Without any hesitation, Joe answered. “No. No, I did not. Everything I said in regard to this,” he raised his hand just slightly, but it was enough for her to know that he was referring to the ring, “was true, but look, I said we’ll talk about this later and we  ** _will_** , but for now, go inside.”

The two of them shared a moment more of eye-contact before Joe walked around her, heading for Dustin who looked as if he had just hopped out of the shower.

_Dustin waited for Natalie to enter the classroom before speaking. “Despite feeling the tension and awkwardness radiating from you, next time I think I’ll take my chances with you two instead of spending five minutes of my life searching for your stupid ass Jeep and getting twice as wet as I initially planned on.”_

“You usually have no problem with things being wet, so why start now?” Joe jested, holding out his hand and motioning for the business cards and keys. “Anyways, what’s going to happen is we’re going to play a quick joke on the people inside and pretend someone’s in trouble. Improv it, I don’t care, but the easiest target is Ryan, the one drunk kid you crossed paths with at the house party.” Laying out the plan, the man began walking back to the room with his partner following behind.

_“I hope you’re aware that you are one of **the** biggest asshole’s right now because of this joke, but I guess that also makes me the second biggest asshole.”_

“The world needs assholes otherwise where else would the shit come from?” was the last comment from Joe before he roughly opened the door and walked into the class.

The abrupt entrance forced people to look up from their phones and over to Joe, but the stares didn’t last too long since all sights were then focused on the somewhat daunting figure entering the class just after him.

The two men stood there for a moment, scanning over the class before.

_“Him. That’s the one right there.” Dustin whispered, loud enough for the people sitting in front of him to hear. “He’s the one responsible for the incident.” Bypassing a reply from Joe, Dustin stormed through the first row of students, careful not to knock into anyone or their belongings._

Standing there with a smirk on his face, Joe walked around to the front of the class, propping himself up against the podium as he carefully watched Dustin gripped onto Ryan’s arm, tugging him up to his feet. The moment Dustin laid a hand on Ryan was the moment all blood drain from the student’s face.

Not a single sound filled the room, only wide-eyes as the fellow student watched the ordeal – which was turning into a string of fear-filled questions.

Allowing the situation to continue a moment longer, Joe turned his gaze from Dustin who was gently tugging the man away from the tables and over to Natalie who continued to have that stone-cold expression on her face as she watched the two men.

“Okay, Dustin, that’s enough.” Joe turned and watched as Dustin obeyed his command almost as a dog would obey the command of his owner.

_Offering the shaken man a friendly smile and an open hand, Dustin spoke. “Son, your eyes are almost as wide as they were when we cracked down on your party for the second time in a night.” He joked, firmly shaking the man's hand, and slapping him once on the back._

Bringing his attention back to the class, Joe began his explanation as to what was to happen in the coming moments. “I know I’ve said since the first class that there was going to be this super hard, and complex exam about the elements of a different crimes, laws, statues, and other stuff, but considering the very high grades in this class and my utter lack of motivation to grade yet another exam that ninety-five percent of you won’t remember in a weeks’ time, I decided to do something that’s a bit more memorable and entertaining,” Walking away from the podium, Joe stood next to Dustin, “so, I brought in my ever-so-loyal friend to talk to you guys about his experiences and stories…or whatever.,” shrugging at the last part, Joe approached his desk, “so, ugh, yeah, direct all questions towards him, and since I walked in late and proceeded to take an hour off of your lives, I’ll let you guys leave early as well.”

* * *

 

After a couple of minutes of listening to Dustin ramble on about various things, Joe leaned back into his chair and dozed off for who knows how long. It wasn’t until the touch of a smooth and cold texture sliding across his face that Joe sprung back away, seeing Dustin just a few feet away from him with his baton stretched out in his direction.

               _“I hate to say it, but in certain cases, not only does the po-po prey on natural stress and anxiety of an individual, the majority of the items on my duty belt are items of domination, intimidation, and authority. Think about it: what am I going to do with this thing?” Dustin spun around on his heels, holding his baton in the air. “It’s used to cut someone down at the knees and beat them into submission. Even the sound of it,” collapsing the item, Dustin proceeded to whip it back open, resulting in a specific and intimidating sound, “can strike fear into someone, but look, we’re not here to strike fear into people and make your lives hell ---.”_

“--- As an arm of the government, we’re expected to not only use our power and authority to regulate the conduct of the citizens and protect their rights, but we’re here to enforce the law, uphold the Constitution, provide services, be a helping hand, and return home safe to our families.” Joe interjected, from his seat.

_“Ah, looks like the old man is finally joining in on our conversation, I know the past few days have been quite tiring for you, that’s why I allowed you to take a little nap.” A smirk took hold of Dustin’s lips before he continued, “but what he said was mostly true and gives you the gist of it despite being far more complex than what some people may assume.” Smiling before the class, Dustin returned to the podium. “So now that you’ve heard a story about me aiding the fire department in retrieving a baby who was flushed down a toilet, a humorous story about me going to a scene where a man had his genitalia stuck in a pool jet, and finally a story about a woman pulling a .357 out on me during a traffic stop, what else do you want to know or is that enough boring stories for the day?”_

              “What about you, Joe? What are three of your most memorable experiences?” Someone called from the back of the class.

Sighing heavily, Joe slowly stood from his seat only to sit down on the corner of his desk.

“Three most memorable experiences?” Joe repeated, looking up at the ceiling as he dug through his memories. “Well, there’s one where a father committed suicide, but prior to that, he severed his wife’s head off and blew off the head of his infant child – this is one of the most difficult and heart-wrenching experiences I’ve had probably ever.” With the sharing of his experience, there was a shift in how the classroom felt - It was no longer amused or entertained, but gripped with sadness.

“Another one is, I had a call where a man was jacking off and died while doing so. I hate to say it, but that was somewhat humorous because we get there and there’s porn playing over the speakers and screen and suddenly you see a naked man hunched over on the floor with his penis in his hand – turns out he had a heart attack while doing it.”

_Dustin couldn’t help but let out a few chuckles, “that’s one way to leave the world.” Turning back to the class, he added another comment, “like I said, you need a certain type of humor to work in this profession.”_

Joe nodded, agreeing with Dustin’s comment. “He’s certainly correct in his statement, but anyways, one more memorable experience is what I call the ‘Bud Light experience’. Here, a man was in a parking lot, sitting in his truck with a gun pointed to his head. Upon reaching the scene, the S.W.A.T. team is already there and if you’ve ever seen a member of the unit, they are intimidating, far more intimidating than what any regular police officer is. Anyways, they are more than likely going to kill him, but that doesn’t really matter because he already wants to die, but undergoing suicide by cop would be an easier path since he wouldn’t have to pull the trigger and kill himself – he’d get someone else to do it. Furthermore, what these members of the unit don’t understand – or maybe they do – is that they are making the situation worse with their all-black attire and big, bad guns that are pointed at a single man who wants nothing more than to die or maybe, he want’s nothing more than for someone to sit there and listen to him.”

Dropping his head, Joe shook his head, disappointed in the tactics of that night. “Deciding to think of an option that doesn’t involve raging testosterone and fear, I take off my duty belt and uniform shirt so that I’m wearing a plain white t-shirt and slacks, you know, so I don’t look intimidating or whatever. I carefully walk up to the car and begin talking to the man. A conversation ensues, and I end up asking him what kind of beer he likes to which he replies with ‘Bud Light’. I shake my head, walk away, and order one of the unit members to go down the street and pick some up. After a few minutes, I walk back to the truck with a six-pack. I hand one over to the guy and we start talking again about family and life and things of that nature. The conversation begins to get deep and I ask him if I can climb into the passenger seat and continue the conversation. He says yes, and I climb inside. In the end, we talked for about an hour and the man, for some reason unbeknownst to me, decided that life was worth living.”

By this point, the whole class was captivated by the story, even Dustin was leaning against the podium, listening intently to the story unravel.

Pulling the class out of its trance by slapping just a single time, Joe clasped his hands together. “And with that, remember to be nice to people because one day you may very well be in the position of that man or me.”

With the class slowly coming back to normality, Joe shared a glance with Dustin before making his way back to his desk.

“Before you all leave, we’re going to hand out our business cards.” Joe added, grabbing the stack from his desk and scanning the class before landing on Natalie. “Feel free to call our work numbers at any time if you have any questions or want to know more about our department or whatever.”

Waiting until Dustin began walking around the room to hand out his cards, Joe picked a pen up, writing down his personal number on one of the cards.

_“And if you guys ever decide that you’re bored between the hours of two in the afternoon and three in the morning and want to go keep one of us company for an entire shift, make sure you put one of our names down on the ride along form.”_

Following his friend’s actions, Joe walked around the class, tossing business cards down onto the table only for the students to grab them and proceed out the classroom.

Finally, as he reached Natalie, Joe dug into his pocket, retrieving the only card that had his personal number on it. “As for you, feel free to call my personal number at any time and for any reason.” He said in a hushed tone as he handed over the card, watching as she glanced down at the number written on it.

               _“I’m guessing this is your way of telling me that we’re going to talk about things at a later time or a way of not discussing **this** face-to-face?”_

Glancing over his shoulder to get a gauge of where his friend was at, Joe shook his head, turning back to look at her. “That conversation calls for us to be in a more private, one-one setting, so tomorrow, I expect you to be ready at around ten in the morning.”

Watching her expression changed from stone-cold to a more relaxed emotion, Joe began backing away, a smile creeping across his face. “Come on, Natalie, you should know better than to think like that.”

Giving her a final wink, Joe turned away.

* * *

 

**As always, I appreciate all feedback.**


	19. Chapter 19

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While discussing their relationship at the same breakfast joint they ate at before, things are interrupted by one of Joe’s colleagues, but after dismissing the man, revelations begin to be told and the fate of their relationship is revealed.

>   
> **POV:**  Joe  
>  **Characters:**  Joe Merriweather,  _Natalie Jankoski_ _(italics), Kathryn (indented italics - first batch) Deputy Richard Payne (indented italics - second batch of text)_  
>  **Author’s Note** : Wow, okay, the ending of this chapter decided to grow a mind of its own and take me down a completely different path. You guys don’t even know how many gifs options I had to choose from  ~~it was a shitload from what I have saved~~. Geesh, I really enjoyed this chapter. Not beta’d.  
>  **Quote:  “** _Wow, “it just goes to show how everyone has a different perspective with different assumptions about a situation they have no knowledge about.”_
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The relentless rain and the darkened clouds that barred the sun from shining its warmth onto the earth continued with its ungodly streak.

Driving down the slick roads, that fresh and trademark ‘brand new car smell’ floated through Joe’s nostrils with every inhale. With his right hand wrapping around the girth of the knick-free and smooth steering wheel, his conscience drifted between the impending situation he was about to embarked upon with Natalie and the half-truth he told Claire in regard to where he was going prior to the start of his shift – his half-truth was nothing more than the excuse that he had to switch out vehicles and attend a meeting.

With the familiarity of the area in which Natalie lived in, and of course the prior visits, the trip from the fleet management garage to the woman’s house was a breeze to navigate. It was even easier with the lack of people driving on the roads due to the unpleasant weather.

Turning into the subdivision, the bright headlights of a truck adverted his attention from the inner conflict that was unfolding in his mind and back into reality – which, in a sense, went hand-in-hand with his thoughts. Hazel eyes shifted, squinting just slightly to examine the somewhat familiar looking white truck that was approaching him from the opposite side. In doing this, not only did he pull his foot off the pedal, allowing his car to slow down, but a biased suspicion began to rise within him – a suspicion that this white truck belonged to a certain friend of Natalie’s, a friend he wasn’t the least bit fond of.

Paying little attention to the road, Joe followed the truck with his eyes until it drove on by and by that point, despite attempting to gaze within and get a picture as to who was driving it, his attempt failed. For a quick moment, a new battle erupted in his mind. On one hand, due to his suspicion, he wanted to make a U-turn and flash his blue lights for the first time in an order to get the driver to pull over, but on the other hand, factoring in that it was raining and that he was an off-duty, plain-clothed officer who was attending to other matters, the hassle wouldn’t be worth it.

Deciding to go against his growing suspicion, Joe drove on despite his eyes tracking the truck as it came into focus in his side-view mirror and then disappearing as it rounded a corner.

After this one-sided stare down, it only took a few more minutes until he arrived at the grayish looking house that he had visited just a handful of times before – this handful being so small that he could count them on one hand.

In contrast to his first visit, instead of parking on the curb and watching the house from afar, he pulled right into the driveway, ridding himself of the hassle of having to walk through the sea of water that flooded the road. An additional difference was that there was another car that claimed a spot in the driveway, indicating to him that someone else was home, someone he would be forced to greet.

Although the situation had its small differences, the underlying reason as to why he was here was almost the exact same – that underlying reason being that the two needed to speak about a major turning point in their relationship.

Idly sitting in his car, he listened to the pattering of rain that landed on its surface – the sound calming his nerves that dared to act up. His eyes watched as two raindrops raced down the windshield until disappearing, resulting in Joe lifting his sights to settle on the front door of the house.

There was no doubt that there was a moment of hesitation about getting out and approaching the door, but this hesitation was nowhere as long as his prior one. In a quick decision, he pulled the keys from the ignition before taking a small second to prepare himself for the rain that would inevitably plague him, his clothes, and the interior of his clean car. Opening the door, he stepped out, quickly slamming the door shut before darting for the safety and dryness that the awning provided.

With his hand wiping away the water from his face and then traveling through his black hair that pellets of rain clung to, he approached the door, his hand dropping from the back of his neck to connect with the door. Knocking three times, he took a step back, shifting on his feet as the surprise of who would answer the door and how long it would take them to answer the door began its countdown.

It only took a few seconds before the sound of a lock being turned filled his ears which was followed by the opening of the door. Staring down at the brunette who stood before him, Joe clenched his jaw, disappointed but not surprised that someone other than Natalie opened the door.

_“Ugh, yes,” the woman began, shifting so that her body was blocking the man from entering the house, “who are you?”_

Out of habit, Joe couldn’t help but peer into the house, searching the immediate area for anything or anybody of interest. After his quick peek, he settled his sights onto the woman who was staring right back at him. “My name is Joseph,” his hand came up, hovering just inches from his chest, “and I’m looking for Ms. Jankoski.” Dropping his hand and shoving it into his black jeans, he shifted his stance. “Since her car is here, I’m assuming she’s here as well. Am I right?”

_“You’re right. I think she’s in her room or something – said she was going somewhere in the morning with someone.” Opening the door and becoming a bit more welcoming in her stance, the girl scanned the man before continuing. “Guessing you’re that someone. Are you her dad or something?”_

A boyish smile graced his features as he dipped his head just the slightest. “No,” he answered, shaking his head, “Just a friend.”

               _“Well, Joseph the friend, let me go --.”_

The brunette was interrupted by the sound of a door closing and approaching footsteps. It was only a second later before the maker of those noises was revealed.

Standing there, that same boyish smile remained on Joe’s face as the sight of Natalie coming into view forced his eyes to widen ever-so-slightly while a wave of unexplainable butterflies spread across his being.

_“Joseph,” Natalie greeted, a seemingly sly grin spreading along her lips as a teasingly sort of tone took hold of her voice, “I was just about to call you to see if we were still on for today, but look at that, here you are.”_

With grey eyes connecting with hazel ones, the couple shared a moment of eye-contact before Joe shifted his attention to the girl who was still in the doorway – it was obvious that the situation was an awkward one for her since she stood there quietly, her brows furrowing, her eyes darting between the couple, and a confused expression plastering over her face.

“Whether it be rain or shine,” he pulled his sights away from the stranger and rested them back on Natalie who was moving towards him, “I keep my word.”

Whereas during their last brief conversation, coldness and tension had a strong underlying theme, this go around, things seemed to be more welcoming and warm – perhaps this was because there was an audience watching.

_With a nod of her head serving as a reply, Natalie stood beside Joe. “Anyways, I’ll be back in a few, Kathryn.” The two girls stared at each other, a smugness draping over her friend as a smile took hold of the brunette’s lips. This smugness was replaced by a couple of forced laughs as Kathryn shook her head, a ‘have a good time’ serving as her farewell as she closed the door._

Raising his brows, Joe let out a long exhale before speaking. “Well then,” looking down to Natalie, he fiddled with the keys in his pocket, “you ready to get wet?” Despite his question being a gateway to a sexual innuendo, it was innocent in nature – well, to him at least.

_“Wouldn’t be the first time I got wet with you around.” Natalie almost deadpanned as she turned to look at the cars parked in the driveway. Sitting in the rain was a slick, black Dodge Charger, it’s hubcaps removed, a push bar installed on the front grille, and a spotlight just above the driver side mirror. “New car?” She questioned, raising a brow as she continued to look at the car. Besides the handful of knob-type antennas peeking up from the surface, the car looked like any other._

Approaching the railing of the porch, Joe followed in Natalie’s action of examining the car. “Yeah, but before we spend another minute out in this rain, why don’t we get inside it and then I’ll explain.”

With both parties agreeing, they braced themselves before darting towards the car – Joe throwing away all chivalry and letting Natalie open her own door. “Damn rain is never going to let up.” He muttered under his breath, annoyed with the constant gloominess. “But yeah, anyways, a good handful of people got new vehicles. All of the unmarked ones went to the higher up guys or specialized units while a small handful of patrol guys got a new marked one.” Pulling the computer away from her, allowing her to have more space on the passenger seat, Joe started the car. “Most of the unmarked ones don’t have a cage since they don’t serve as a transport, so that’s why this one doesn’t have one.” Backing out of the driveway, he continued with his monologue. “No lightbar – all the lights are internal,” he nodded to the boxes that rested on the very top portion of the windshield, “or hidden away in the grille or headlights.”

_Staring at whatever object he spoke about or nodded to, Natalie settled into her seat, breaking in the seat for the first time. “Why not keep the truck? I’m sure that beast had some good memories in and on it,” her lips pressed together and frowned, but it wasn’t a frown of disappointment, but a cynical frown._

“Hush,” he warned, bringing a finger to his lips before pointing to the box right under the rearview mirror, “there’s a camera recording,” he whispered, leaning slightly in her direction. Watching as that mischievous expression of hers changed into one of surprise, Joe couldn’t help but smile and laugh. “I’m kidding, it doesn’t start recording until I turn on the lights and sirens, so we’re in the clear.”

_With a roll of her eyes, Natalie leaned forward, bringing the radio alive – an action she knew that would get under the man's skin. Settling her jaw, she looked at the man, challenging him to scold her, but instead, the exact opposite happened._

As the intro of “Another One Bites the Dust” filtered through the car, he couldn’t help but turn the volume up and sing along. “Are you ready, hey, are you ready for this?,” he asked, averting his attention from the road and to her, “Are you hanging on the edge of your seat?,” and with that, Joe put the pedal to the metal, momentarily starling the girl with the unexpected acceleration as they headed to their destination.

* * *

 

After settling down in the restaurant and ordering their meals, instead of Joe being the one to initiate the conversation and the reason as to why they were here, Natalie was the one to take on this role, attacking the conversation with such ferocity that it took the older man by surprise – the warm and welcoming mood they had just an hour or so ago revealing itself to only be a façade.

_“So, what, we’re here because you want to explain to me what’s going on in your marriage, the marriage I thought was non-existent and the wife I thought was out of the picture. You know, everything just seems like one big lie right now. I mean, one month you’re not wearing that wedding band and you’re crying in the shower telling me all these things – one of those things I need to ask you about later – about your ruined marriage and then a week later we’re getting it on in your office then the next month you walk into class as a married man who apparently wasn’t divorced. Like what the fuck, Joe?” With her face becoming flushed with a hint of anger, Natalie ran her tongue across her lips, glaring at the man who was just sitting there, taking whatever she threw at him._

_There was no doubt that Natalie was angry, after all, what man or woman wouldn’t be? It didn’t matter if they were just two people hooking up occasionally, it was the fact that the situation seemed to be littered with potential lies, questionable truths, and unspoken feelings._

_“Look, I asked you this yesterday and I know you already answered my question because we were in a rush, but I want to know with complete honesty and one hundred percent certainty,” leaning into the table to make things more personal, she repeated her question from the day before, “did you lie to me?”_

For Joe, having a woman question and berate him was anything but foreign. In fact, verbal abuse between Claire and him was a common theme during the last few years their marriage – the abusive part coming more from her than he -, so with Natalie talking to him in the way she was, it wasn’t even comparable to the arguments he had with Claire.

Prior to answering, Joe took in a deep breath, slowly exhaling after a moment. “I can’t give you a clear-cut answer because I don’t know what exactly you’re referring to.” His answer was nowhere what Natalie wanted to hear and it was apparent by her reaction, but nevertheless, before she had a second to answer, Joe continued. “If you’re referring to me being in a broken marriage then no, I didn’t lie to you. If you’re assuming that I lied to you when  ** _we_** were in  ** _my_**  shower, then your assumption is wrong – for the most part. If  ** _you_**  think  ** _I’m_**  using  ** _you_** just to get my dick wet because my wife decided to up and leave me only to return unexpectedly, telling  ** _me_** that  ** _she_**  never submitted the papers and basically ruining what  ** _you and I_** had or what  ** _we_** could potentially grow into, then you’re completely  ** _fucking_**  wrong.” While speaking, Joe failed to realize that he was hovering so far over the table that if anyone was to see them, it would look as if Joe was about to lose his temper. “Lastly, if you’re referring to me telling you that I was a divorced man, then no, I didn’t lie to you because you know why?” He finally leaned away from the girl, settling back into his chair. “I never fucking said I was divorced, only that I was going through one.  ** _You_** made that assumption to assume that I was divorced, and you know what the first three letters of that word are? Ass and guess who’s looking like one right now,” Joe pointed a finger at her, his nose and mouth momentarily scrunching up, “ ** _you_** are.” Lowering his hand back onto the table, Joe began making circles with his thumb on his index finger. “Oh yeah, and I’m assuming you’re going to bring up the thing I mentioned in the shower, the procedure I had done. I’m guessing you’ve connected the dots as to why I wear a condom when we had our two rounds of spontaneous, public sex. You know why I wear protection? Well, I’ll tell you. I wear it because after years of being bitched at by Claire because we ‘ ** _somehow’_**  couldn’t have kids and being blamed for it – she was right to blame me -, I decided to undergo a reversal just to shut her up and get her pregnant, but that obviously didn’t happen because things went to shit for the next number of years and things got increasingly distant and toxic. So, yeah, I wear protection because I don’t shoot blanks anymore.”

_At this point, Natalie was so speechless that she couldn’t even stand to look at the man whose veins were protruding out from his neck so much that it looked like he was choking. This speechless nature had a dash of shock, a sliver of confusion, and a sprinkle of embarrassment. Working from the bottom up, the sprinkle of embarrassment was a result of the fact that she never actually asked if he was divorced – he was right when saying that it was an assumption on her part. She thought that if he was in the process of getting a divorce then it meant he was, in a sense, divorced, but now, with this newly revealed news, it was anything but that. It was far more complicated. Furthermore, the sliver of confusion was due to her noticing the emphasis he placed on the words ‘we’ and ‘you and I’. Was he suggesting that things could turn into something more than just a sex-filled relationship between the two of them? Was he hinting that there was more than just a shared lust between the two and things could have turned romantically if it wasn’t for the situation? Lastly, with the dash of shock, this was a mixture of the confusion and embarrassment factors but had an additional factor: the fact that he was no longer ‘fixed’._

Neither of them dared to speak because neither of them knew the right words to say and even if they did, the ice they were standing on was so thin that it dared to crumble beneath them. Both of them wanted to speak and they were too afraid of breaking that ice. Even when the food arrived, their plates went untouched as Natalie stared out the window while Joe stared past her towards the front of the building.

After a while, the ringing of a bell that rested just above the front door made Joe turn his head to look at the newcomers. “Goddamnit,” he whispered, finally being the one to break the ice by switching conversations, “Payne’s here.”

_Turning from the rain covered window, Natalie briefly looked at Joe before scanning the restaurant. It wasn’t hard to find the source, or at least an idea of the source, of Joe’s annoyance. Huddling at the greeter’s podium was a group of three uniformed officers – two of them women and one of them a man. “Who’s Payne?” She questioned with the least bit of interest._

“Richard Payne, but we call him ‘Dick Payne’ because he’s a pain in our asses.” In a lousy attempt to hide from the group, Joe stared out the window. “He’s always, ugh, you can say wandering up shits creek – you know, slacking off, not following protocol, disobeying, and even getting sued a handful of times. He thinks he’s buddy-buddy with everyone and tries to suck up to people like me and it just doesn’t work out. And I assure you, if he sees me, he  ** _will_** come and try to talk to us.”

And just like physic predicting the future, the man spotted Joe and began making his way towards the couple.

               _“Hey, Sarg.” A Northern accent resembling one from Boston greeted, joining the conversation or lack of one. “Taking the wife out for breakfast, I see.” Considering that Payne was practically unaware and ill-informed as to the details of Joe’s personal life, the assumption that Natalie was his wife was an innocent mistake, but nevertheless, it wasn’t the time nor the place to give these assumptions._

With a sorry excuse of a forced smile serving as Joe’s greeting, the tension that he once had with Natalie was now focused on Richard. “If you don’t mind, I would enjoy it if I could finish my meal without interruptions and small talk. I’m not trying to be rude or anything, but we would enjoy it if we had some peace and quiet.” Joe failed to even touch upon the assumption that Natalie was his wife, but he really felt no need to inform Payne about his mistake.

               _“Looks like you haven’t even touched your food yet,” the man laughed, failing to acknowledge the tension and the underlying order to leave them be, “but I was jus-_

“I said leave,” Joe interjected, not caring for an explanation or any further chatter from the man. The two men glared at each other – Richard furrowing his brows while Joe remained expressionless.

The message was received, and the man turned on his heel and began walking back to the group of colleagues who were already seated.  

_“Our first time coming here, the waiter assumed I was your kid and now your colleague assumes I’m your wife. Wow,” her tone was laced with sarcasm, “it just goes to show how everyone has a different perspective with different assumptions about a situation they have no knowledge about.” Her comment served as a sort of clapback to the prior conversation they were engaged in._

_Watching as he placed his left hand up on the table, she couldn’t help but look at the ring that was still on his finger. “So, Joseph” she peeled her gaze from the ring and placed him within her sights, “what are we going to do about **us**?” Her hand came up to rest on top of his, the warmth of his hand a sharp contrast from the coldness of the metal. “Are we going to share the same perspective or continue having different ones?”_

_And now, with his thumb running along the top of her hand and the question, which was more like a proposition, being asked, the two reveled in each other’s company, tight-lipped smiles pulling at the corner of their lips, not even an ounce of regret seeping into their bodies._


	20. Chapter 20

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Engaging in an intimate moment, apologizes are given and falsely accepted. Afterwards, someone spots the couple out and about and revelations are revealed.

**POV:**  Joe  
 **Characters:**  Joe Merriweather,  _Claire Merriweather _(italics),_ Natalie Jankoski_  _(indented italics)_  
 **Author’s Note** : Chapter 20 has to come in with a bang…literally. New characterization - Joe likes to sleep naked. That shower parallel, though. Anyways, yeah, not beta’d.   
 **Warnings:** There’s smut.  
 **Quote:  “** Do it or your welcome home gift might just be one of ‘punishments’ I gave you in the back of the truck.”

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The blissful, golden rays of the sun began to peek through the curtains – a sliver of sunlight taking aim at the sleeping man, dragging from further from his restful slumber and closer to consciousness. The birds outside perched amongst tree branches began to chirp their morning melody – an almost forgotten tune due to the weeklong spout of thunderstorms. The foreign and innocent touch of a woman’s fingers grazing along the contours, scars, and freckles of his back not only aided in spreading warmth along his bare skin but increased the speed of his impending consciousness.

With a throaty groan coming from the sleeping man, he rolled onto his back, trapping the woman’s hand against his own body and the mattress. It would only be seconds later than an additional amount of warmth began to canvas his body. This time, a hand rested on his chest while the woman inched closer to his naked frame – the warmth radiating from her body latched onto his right side.

In addition to the new-found warmth, the eerie sensation of eyes traveling along his body only to rest on his face just seconds later was the straw that broke the camel’s back.

Now, and despite the man being fully pulled from his slumber, hazel eyes remained hidden beneath the cover of eyelids. In doing this, strings of various memories of the previous night and week began to flood his mind – the most notable one being the conversation he had with Natalie at the diner that sparked, or one could say, solidified the continuous of the affair.  

Morally he knew that his actions or the actions he was about to embark upon were wrong, but despite his best efforts to think otherwise, Joe knew that this marriage with Claire was no longer built on morals but built on deceit. There was no doubt that he didn’t love the woman, in fact, he would be lying if he said otherwise. He loved her, he knew he did, but the love they shared or at least the love they had once shared wasn’t what it used to be. Over the past few years, specifically the last year, the admiration and deep-seated love he had for her began to fade and chip away just as it had done for her when it came to the feelings she felt for him. Their marriage that was once built on happiness and love turned into anything but that. Both parties learned to resent each other, attempted to control each other, and most importantly, tried to cause each other pain – these factors may have not been purposeful or intentional, but they surely lived on in a physical and mental realm.  

Too occupied with his own thoughts, Joe failed to realize that the sensation of eyes gazing upon him had finally disappeared. Opening his eyes and tilting his head down, he now turned into the watcher. Laying there, his eyes traveled across the sleeping features of the woman before resting upon her lips – those same lips that just hours ago wrapped around his length and proceeded to not only slowly and teasingly push him over the edge, but attempted to spark a chain of events that would more than likely result in a night of rough and kinky sex, something he wasn’t in the mood for. In doing this, his tongue slithered across his chapped lips, bringing moisture to the barren surface.

Arching his back, he gently pulled her left hand out from under him before placing it between their resting bodies. With his fingers slowly traveling up her forearm before entwining themselves with her hand that rested on his chest, Joe watched as her eyes slowly opened, a weak smile forming on his lips.

Not a word was spoken between the two, only actions as Joe shifted onto his right side, his left leg wrapping around both of hers while his right hand dug beneath her body, pulling her semi-clothed frame into his.

A single, throaty chuckle filled the room as Joe engulfed her into a bear hug, which doubled as his morning stretched – his body tensed against hers as his ankles rolled, resulting in the cracking of his bones.

“Good morning, dear.” The sound of Joe’s rugged and sleep-filled voice was the first to bring a conversation to light. Relaxing, he placed a single kiss on her forehead before speaking. “How’d you sleep?

 _As their bodies pressed against each other, offering true skin-to-skin contact and warmth, the ghost-like touches of her husband’s fingers traveling along the crevasse of her spine was the reason as to why a wave of chills spread out across her skin. It wasn’t_ long before his fingers began to travel south, exchanging the terrain of her spine for the territory of her hip and upper thigh.

_“Good, but not as good as you,” Claire responded, her right hand coming up to wrap around his neck, toying with the ends of his hair. “Someone decided to turn in early after getting their happy ending and leave their wife hanging.” The woman’s tone was almost playful in nature, but there was a hint of underlying disappointment._

_Slowly, the hand that was once wrapped around his neck began to move south. “Why don’t we,” for a split second, a smile took hold of her lips before she placed a kiss on her husband’s lips, “put your cuffs to good use and have ourselves a steamy good morning.” A smirk spread across her lips as her hand dipped beneath the cover, following the path of his happy trail until her hand wrapped around his dick. “Come on, babe,” she whispered, stroking him, “you know you want to.”_

Breaking his steady breathing pattern, Joe held his breath while contemplating the offer, an offer that was nothing more than a plea from the woman. Although there was contemplation, there wasn’t much, considering the teasingly slow strokes Claire was tempting him with to make him succumb to her.

Slowly releasing his breath, he looked over his shoulder to read the time – 9:48 A.M, roughly five hours before the start of his shift and the start to another very long afternoon that dragged on into the early hours of the morning.

“I don’t know, Claire,” he admitted, turning back to face her, “I’m still really worn out from work and that little ‘welcome home greeting’.” A weak laugh came from the man as he began to glide his hand along her side, her body reacting by melting into his touch.

_“Oh, come on, don’t leave me hanging **again** , we used to love messing around in the morning.” Slowly transitioning her hand from cock to naval to collarbone, light pecks began to litter his chest before making their way up to his neck._

With his head tilting just the slightest, the man settled his jaw, his eyes slowly shutting while his mind latched onto the keyword ‘used to’. Claire was exactly right, he used to love doing a lot of things with her, but now, with circumstances being extremely different from what they used to be – baring the fact that he was now actively engaging in a relationship with a woman far younger than him – things just weren’t the same.

_With little effort, Claire shifted the tables in her favor – at least position wise – by effortlessly pushing Joe so that he was now laying on his back. Quickly, she rolled on top of him, straddling his sides while positioning herself right onto his dick._

“Oh, Claire,” Joe whispered, his hands coming up and firmly placing themselves on her hips, “you really are going to be the death of me one day,” he joked.

_As she began to slowly grind against his erection, a smile formed on her lips as his firm grip forced her down – the friction from his dick and her underwear rubbing against her clit._

_“Are you sure,” her hands came up to undo the last few buttons of her nighttime flannel, “you want to keep **both** of us hanging?” Staring down at the man who was intently watching her, she watched as a smile pulled at his lips, his tongue poking out just seconds later before disappearing and letting the fullness of his dimples be revealed. Now she had him right in her grasp and they both knew it._

Watching as her shirt draped open, Joe slowly straightened up, a hand coming up to snake its way behind her neck. “No cuffs,” he began, sitting face-to-face with her now, “no kinks,” he kissed her a single time before allowing his left hand to slide back onto her waist, “just you and me.” He finished, pushing back her flannel so it pooled behind her.

Wrapping a hand around her waist, Joe shifted their position so that he was now the one to hover over her. As an elbow began to support his weight, he lowered himself, his lips coming to connect with her collarbone as his right hand began to dip lower. As feather-like touches traveled down her abdomen, it wasn’t long until he reached her underwear. Instead of allowing his fingers to disappear beneath the fabric, they pushed further south until he reached her dampness. “God,” Joe whispered, his lips coming up from her skin, “I really did keep you hanging, huh?” A smile spread across his stubbly features as he sat up.

Scooting back just slightly, his sights settled on his fingers that were still resting on her dampness – if he wasn’t turned on by the actions from just seconds ago, which he was, he surely was now. Lowering himself yet again, his fingers inched upwards, wrapping around the hem of the fabric. In doing this, his lips also lowered onto her lower abdomen, trailing kisses along her skin as his hands slowly pulled her underwear off. As her fabric inched down, so did the trail of kisses. When her underwear was finally free from her body, Joe was placing a final kiss on her mound, his lower lip slowly dragging up from the tip of her slit.

_A smile began to spread across Claire’s lips as she gazed down at the man who was positioned between her legs. The look in her husband’s eyes was one of lust and that in itself was a sight to see. As his fingertips began to glide up her left leg, she couldn’t help but squirm just the slightest at his touch. She knew he took pleasure in teasing her, it was one of his deadly specialties._

_Gripping his wrist, she began to lead his hand along her body – his body following suit and straightening up. At first, she guided his hand along the side of her body until it reached her breast. This didn’t last long, though, since she pulled his hand higher until it reached her neck. “You really did,” she whispered, her hand pressing down onto his, motioning for him to apply pressure to her neck._

_In contrast to prior situations, she was slightly disappointed that he stood his ground and didn’t bring himself forward to plant a passionate kiss on her lips. Instead, his hand moved away from her neck, traveling south until it wrapped around her hip – his other hand already positioned on her right side. In a sudden motion, he pulled her into him. This was followed by one of his hands gripping onto his dick and positioning himself before her. It was only a second later that he slowly entered, a shaky inhale from both parties filling the room._

It was now that Joe leaned forward, his hands supporting his weight as he slowly thrust into her. In addition, not only did Claire hook a leg around his, but one of her hands came up to hold onto his shoulder while the other lightly gripped onto his ass.

Smiles crossed both of their faces before disappearing beneath a deep kiss. Changing the position of his hands, one left the surface of the mattress to spread across her neck – his thumb placed beneath her chin, tilting it up – while the other once again moved down her body until it reached her clit.

His tempo never changed, resulting in his thrusts being slow and deep and for a split second, he wondered if he would ever share an intimate and slow moment such as this one with Natalie. This thought quickly disappeared into the depths of his mind as he focused back onto the woman beneath him. With two of his fingers slowly and deeply rubbing her, he noticed how she began to slowly grind against them. Smiling beneath the chain of kisses, his pace increased just the slightest, both in rubbing and thrusting. At this point, it wouldn’t take long for either of them to succumb to an orgasm.

Knowing Claire all too well, especially when it came to moments like this, he knew the precession of events that unfolded when she was close to her climax. With the hand that was gripping onto his ass, her grip increased in force before her fingers dug into his skin – he would be lying if he said he didn’t enjoy this small amount pain as her fingers raked against the tender skin, forcing a short groan to come from his throat. Next, the leg that was hooked onto his began to tense up, locking itself into place and pulling him further into her. As her lips parted from his, breaking the long chain of kisses, she rested her forehead on his, but this was short-lived as Joe leaned down, his lips now planting kisses along her neck. Small moans began to fill the bedroom as gentle nips began to trail from her neck to her earlobe. Nipping and sucking on the sensitive area, Joe felt her clench around his length. Chuckling just once, he pulled away just the slightest, “cum for me,” filling the woman’s ear.

Feeling a hitch in his wife’s breathing, he knew she was just moments away from her release. She wasn’t the only one, though, because, at this point, he felt his naval begin to tighten and his heart increase in pace.

Coming up to kiss her, the kiss turned into nothing but a bite as Claire dug deeper into his skin, her walls clenching around his dick while her body arched forward. A ‘fuck’ managed to escape from Joe as the coppery taste of blood filled his mouth.

An animalistic chain of groans filled the room as his orgasm hit, forcing strings of cum to fill her. The slight amount of pain he had just felt just seconds before was overcome by the rush of endorphins that washed over his body.

Pumping into her just a few more times, Joe pulled out, the white substance slowly flowing out of her.

Chuckling, he fell onto his side of the bed, a hand coming up to rest on his chest. “Was it worth the wait?” He teasingly asked, turning his head to look at her.

_Smiling, Claire covered her face for a moment, nods filling in as an answer to her husband’s question._

“Good,” Joe muttered, sitting up and throwing his feet over the side of the bed, “now let’s go wash up and go get some food.”

* * *

Leaning against the cold tile of the shower, Joe watched as pellets of water raced down his body, the pellets vanishing into the drain just seconds later or trapping themselves within his body hair.

The steam of the hot water surrounded him, spreading out across the large shower until it flooded into the rest of the bathroom.

A hand began to run up his body, freeing the water droplets from their confines.

Tracing along his bottom lip, he felt the spot where blood was flowing from just minutes ago. For a moment, his eyes glossed over, his mind replaying the activities that enfolded just before entering the shower.

There wasn’t much reminiscing since the sound of the shower door opening pulled him from his trance.

Leaning away from the wall, Joe turned around, facing Claire as she entered the shower. Another weak smile pulled at his lips as she approached him, her hand coming up to rest on his chest.

Neither of them spoke as the blonde stepped forward, her hand moving to his back as she began to embrace the man in her arms. As her head rested against his chest, Joe wrapped an arm around her, pulling her into his frame even more. Fingers began to massage the back of her head as the two just stood there in silence.

_Pulling away just slightly, Claire gazed up at her husband. The silence began to reign on a moment longer before she spoke. “You know I love you, right?” She asked, her expression as sincere as it could be. “And you know I’m sorry, right?”_

Taken back by the moment, all Joe could do was just stare down at her and inhale deeply. Sharing in a moment of eye-contact, Joe nodded his head before gently pushing her head back down onto his chest, “I know,” falling from his lips.

* * *

It was no more than an hour later that Joe and Claire arrived at a coffee shop that was buzzing with an array of people.

Settling in the driver seat of his unmarked car, Joe placed his sights on Claire. “I’m no betting man, but I bet you that the young kid inside will give us our order for free.”

_“And what exactly are you wanting out of this?” Claire asked, peering into the building._

With a tight-lipped smile spreading across the man’s face, he, without a word, pulled the keys from the ignition and stepped out of the car. Walking around to the passenger side, he opened Claire’s door, placing a hand on the top of the hood before leaning down. “Surprise me.”

Stepping away, he opened the back door, pulling out a windbreaker with the words ‘SHERIFF’ sprawled out across the back, the department emblem stitched onto one of the shoulders, and his first initial and last name placed on the left breast.

Placing the clothing on and shutting both doors, the couple proceeded into the building.

The hum of chatter filled their ears. The smell of coffee and bagels filled their nostrils. The feeling of their hands entwining with each other awoke their senses.

Standing in the short line, Joe squinted, his eyes attempting to read the small font on the menus. With little to no prevail, he pulled his glasses out, the font on the boards becoming far clearer.

“What do you want?” He asked, glancing down at her before going back to read the menu. “The usual coffee and that panini thing?”

_“You know me so well,” Claire joked, stepping forward as the line got shorter._

“Well, we’ve been married for some sixteen years,” Joe spoke, a weird sensation washing over him at his own comment.

When it was their time to order, Joe requested a black coffee and bagel for himself and a coffee loaded with vanilla creamer along with a chicken panini for his wife. As expected and after the cashier took a look over the man, pinpointing the badge that rested on his hip and the emblem residing on his shoulder, the man insisted that the meal be placed on the house.

With little resistance from Joe and insistence from the man, Joe agreed to have the meal be for free.

Walking to the waiting area, Joe chuckled, “see, I told you,” he spoke, looking down at Claire.

_Rolling her eyes, Claire shook her head, “yeah, using your authority as a perk, but either way, a bet is a bet,” taking a step forward, she placed a kiss on his lips before pulling away._

Afterward, the couple began to scour the place for an open seat but failed to pinpoint one.

Although his eyes couldn’t land on an open table, they did land on the woman who was sitting in line, her eyes staring right back at his and at this moment, it was almost as if all the air from his lungs was forced out of him.

Nervously shifting on his feet, he peeled his eyes from hers as she began to order her own meal. There was no doubt that Joe was a patient man, but in a situation where his wife was standing next to him and where Natalie standing just feet away, he wanted nothing more than for his meal to come and to disappear.

> _With Natalie finishing her order, she was forced to make her way to the same waiting area that Joe and his wife were standing in. She knew this was his wife from the time she gazed upon the pictures that littered the hallway to his bedroom. Preparing herself for the awkwardness that was about to ensue, she took a final deep breath before stepping before the couple. “Professor Merriweather,” she greeted, the blonde turning to look at her, confusion taking hold of her expression, “strange seeing you outside of the classroom.”_

Wrapping a hand around the waist of Claire, Joe pulled her closer to his body, “I have to say the same for you,” Joe joked, a weak laugh falling from his lips as he exchanged glances with the two women. “Claire, this is one of my students.” Joe didn’t want to go too far into introducing Natalie to his wife, so he left out any names.

_With a warm smile serving as a sort of greeting, Claire leaned forward, “he’s known to be a talker.” Receiving a grin and head shake from the woman, Claire turned to look at the food and coffee that was no being placed on the table beside them. “He can go on for hours about a subject and trust me, I would know,” another laugh came from the blonde as she pulled away from Joe’s grip and grabbed her meal, returning to his side just a second later._

Rolling his eyes, Joe followed in Claire’s actions and picked up his meal as well. “Looks like the both of you have something in common then.” Joe deadpanned for a moment before his expression changed. “Jokes aside, I hope your summer is going well and I hope you’re staying out of any trouble.”

_Before Natalie even had a chance to reply, Joe’s wife pointed to a table, telling the man that she was going to grab it before it was taken. Watching as the woman left his side, it was almost as if both of their bodies returned to a tense-free state. She watched as Joe let out a shaky breath before testing the heat of his coffee. “I, ugh, I’m leaving for like the next week or two,” Natalie revealed, watching as Joe’s brow furrowed, “My sister-in-law just gave birth, so I’m going to visit my niece for the first time. I just thought I would let you know so you wouldn’t show up at my house or anything.” Noticing the small knick on his bottom lip, Natalie was about to comment on it but was interrupted by hearing her name get called._

“Well, congrats on becoming an aunt, but when were you going to tell me this?” Joe asked, turning on his feet to face her, “I haven’t seen you in over a week and you  ** _still_** haven’t called or texted me, so what, we’re you just going to leave and not tell me? You have my number, so communication between you and I should be a breeze.”

> _“Let’s not make a scene in front of your wife.” Natalie retorted, her eyes coming up to lock onto his. “Anyways, I’m leaving in a few days, so I wasn’t just going to up and leave without telling you. In fact, I was going to message you tonight, but as we can see, there’s no need for that now.” For some odd reason, Natalie was still holding out on texting the man, perhaps it was because she was nervous to do so since his wife could be around him at any moment of time. “But don’t worry, I’ll text you, in fact, I’ll do it right now.” Pulling out her phone and taking into account that she had already put his number into her contacts, she pressed his name. Staring up at him as she pressed a single button and proceeded to sent it to him, a smile spread across her face._

It was just a second later that Joe felt his phone buzz. Before settling his coffee down, Joe looked over his shoulder at his wife who was just now taking a seat at the table. Turning, he pulled out his phone and read the message. A single, kissy-face emoticon was the first message she sent him. Smiling, Joe placed his phone back into his pocket and picked his coffee back up. “When you’re gone, I want you to call me so I can hear your voice and make sure that your safe and all.” Taking a step forward, he was about to walk past her before he stopped, leaning in close to her. “Do it or your welcome home gift might just be one of ‘punishments’ I gave you in the back of the truck.” 

Pulling away, Joe winked before walking away.

* * *

**As always, I appreciate ANY and ALL feedback.**


	21. Chapter 21

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eating lunch with Dustin, Joe reveals the reason as to why Claire left the house, but while explaining this, his attention focuses on Natalie who calls him. While speaking to her, a familiar face appears.

**POV:**  Joe  
 **Characters:**  Joe Merriweather,  _Dustin Ayers (italics), Natalie Jankoski (indented normal), Landon_   _(indented italics)_  
 **Quote: “**...a nice, long, hard, something to get you going again type of...”

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_“I really don’t know why I keep coming back to this Mexican joint with you,” Dustin muttered, shifting uneasily in the wooden chair while his eyes cautiously scanned over the dozen or so tacos laid out before the duo. “You know damn well that his place gives me the shits and they aren’t the regular types of shits, but the ‘I-feel-like-I’m-about-to-pass-out-while-shitting-my-brains-out’_ _types of shits.” Dustin watched as a shallow grin made an apperance on his friends face before disappearing as he_ _began to chow down on the tacos, devouring the thing in less than three bites. “Like don’t get me wrong, this place has some really good food and all, but I want to shit my pants on the job. Honestly, if you ask me, I would rather deal with shitty ass people all day than to deal with a shitty ass.”_

There was no denying that there was a hint of annoyance washing over the older man since Joe couldn’t help but lean back into his chair, one hand tossing a napkin onto the table while the other one stuffed the rest of his taco into his mouth. “Dustin,” Joe said with a mouthful of food, “do me a favor and shut up.”

Tucking his hands beneath his bulletproof vest, Joe’s gaze traveled from Dustin and down to his phone that was now lighting up. Leaning forward just slightly, he read the name that appeared on the screen, a name that sent a wave of underlying excitement and adrenaline through his body. The sight of Natalie’s name sprawled out on the screen forced Joe to pull a hand out from its resting place and reach for the phone. This, coupled with his short burst of adrenaline was short-lived due to Dustin’s follow-up comment.

_“I’m just giving you a fair warning that if you or dispatch can’t get ahold of me, duty is calling – pun intended -, but fine, since you don’t want to talk about shit, why don’t we switch the topic to people **talking** shit.” Dustin watched as the man’s expression changed from annoyance to happiness to curiosity._

Watching as the screen turned black, Joe settled his jaw, his eyes coming to fix onto Dustin. “What do you mean?” He questioned, his body straightening in the chair as he placed his phone back down on the table. “Who’s talking shit?”

_“Well, I don’t know if it’s necessarily talking shit, but Richard, a.k.a. Dick Payne, was talking about you.” There was a small pause as the man finally bit into one of the tacos, “You see,” he began, harshly swallowing before continuing, “I was with Linda, Kristen, and David and we were all shooting the shit when Payne shows up out of nowhere._ _As we’re talking, he decides to tell us about his experience with you at some hole-in-the-wall breakfast place. Says he saw you with your wife and tells us how young she looked and how you looked super stressed and annoyed and I guess with that stress or whatever, it led for you to, in his words, ‘snap’ at him.” Dustin shrugged before taking a few sips of his drink. “Like I said, I wouldn’t really say it’s talking shit, but he did mention you and I thought I should let you know since you’re my boo.”_

“Yeah, well it looks like Payne isn’t much of a shit talker because what he said was basically what happened.” The tenseness that once engulfed him was now fading as his hands returned to the cubby beneath his vest. “See, what had happened was that I was eating breakfast when Payne and two female colleagues walk in. Payne obviously spots me because he starts making his way towards my table and when he finally reaches us, he attempts to spark up a conversation, but mind you, we had just finished an intense and intimate conversation.” Joe’s attempts to not include Natalie’s name in the explanation turned out to be successful, but this success led to an awkward phrasing to the sentence. “Payne seems to think that he and I are all buddy-buddy when it’s obvious that that isn’t the case. I can’t stand the man – he’s always interjecting himself into situations at the wrong time or doing some stupid ass shit, it’s like he’s one of those people who you love to hate.” Rolling his eyes, Joe shook his head, annoyed with even the presence of the man’s name. “But anyways, in the end, I cut him off mid-sentence and told him to get lost, which he did. It’s not like I really snapped at him or anything, but I will admit that I may have come off a bit too aggressive.”

_“I totally get what you’re saying and where you’re coming from,” Dustin chuckled before stuffing half a taco into his mouth, “If I were you, I probably would have done the same exact thing. An intense conversation with your woman coupled with the unexpected arrival of a co-worker who you can’t stand, are two ingredients to a recipe of shit.” Glancing up, Dustin settled his sights on the TV as he downed most of his drink. “If you ask me, I thought it was funny when he said that you snapped because I’ve seen you go off the deep end and snap at someone and what he considers you snapping is far from the truth. To me and I’m sure to most people, you’re a pretty nice guy and it takes a lot for you to just snap at someone and even though I’ve only witnessed it a handful of times, I can vividly remember this blank and intense stare take hold of your eyes and this emotionless expression that takes hold of your face. If you ask me, it’s even worse when you start to yell because you don’t just yell, you like to use words as your weapon and really stick it to that person and cut deep.” Pulling his sights from the TV, Dustin silently stared at Joe for a moment. “Calm yet intimidating, a deadly combo if you ask me.”_

For a moment, a spout of silence enveloped the two men as they sat there staring at each other. This wouldn’t last long, though, as Joe slowly nodded, a string of awkward chuckles falling from his lips as he pulled his hand out from beneath his vest and went back to eating. “Well, you know what they say about the silent ones. Most of the time they are the deadliest.”

_“Yeah, but you see, there lies a problem in that because we both know that you like to talk and go on these long monologues and ramblings.” Dustin joked, his own hands following in the prior actions of Joe’s and tucking themselves away. “I’m not trying to get into the semantics of all that because god forbid you get on a tangent,” Dustin playfully winked before continuing, “if you don’t mind me asking, what was that ‘intense and intimidate conversation’ about? You finally knock up Claire? Gonna give me a little niece or nephew finally?”_

“Oh God,” Joe muttered as his eyes widened at the assumption, “Claire getting pregnant right now would be the  _worst_ time for something like that to happen. Plus, I don’t think she really can get pregnant because, you know, age and fertility.” Pulling a hand to cover his mouth, there was a small hesitation in his speech, “but ugh,” he muttered through a sigh, “we were talking about our relationship and throughout this ordeal, it made me realize some things.” Now, it was time for Joe to switch from one half-truth to another. “See, when Claire and I got back together just a few weeks ago, I was stupid and naïve enough to believe that we would pick up where we left off before she left, but I immediately realized that things between us just aren’t the same and to be honest, they never will be. To me - and I’m pretty damn sure she shares the same feelings - there’s this explainable  ** _and_** unexplainable void between us, almost as if we don’t really know each other anymore. Perhaps this is a result from her leaving the house for some seven or so months, maybe this is a result of her affair for the last year and a half, or maybe it’s because of my actions and shift in my state of mind, but nevertheless, no matter what the reason is, things will  ** _never_** be the same and the feelings and love we once shared will  ** _never_** be rekindled.” 

Taking a deep breath, it was almost as if Joe felt a wave of relief wash over him when admitting more details of his failing marriage to Dustin. “Like don’t get me wrong, I love the woman and more than likely always will because I spent sixteen  **fucking**  years with her, but I don’t love her like I used to, and I know she doesn’t love me like she used to either. I mean, for Gods sake, she cheated on me for a year and a fucking half with someone we know.” Pulling a hand up to his face, a visibly distressed man covered his eyes and slowly shook his head. “How could a woman who willingly opens her legs up to another man still possibly love you like they once did?

_With shock clearly visible on the man's face, Dustin stared at Joe almost as if he was a deer caught in headlights. He was aware that Claire had moved out for some time and had always assumed that one of the parties had cheated on one another, but he was never aware that Claire was the one to cheat on Joe with someone they were both familiar with. This revelation was far more than just shocking, it was an utter bombshell. Raking through his mind for memories and faces that both he and Joe knew, Dustin finally spoke, “who is it?”_

Just seconds away from revealing who the person was, his attention was once again diverted as the vibration of his phone began to rattle against the wooden table. “We’re going to have to talk about this later on, I need to take this.” With his phone in hand, Joe took to his feet and stepped away.  

“Well look who decided to call,” Joe’s deep voice sounded through the phone as he walked from the table and towards the restroom, “my  ** _favorite_**  student.”

It was almost strange to see how in one moment Joe was having a discussion that revolved around the extramarital affairs and in the next moment, he was having a seemingly normal conversation with the women  ** _he_** was now having an affair with. In all, the situation as a whole was quite hypocritical - Joe was upset that Claire had cheated on him, but now he was the one to cheat on her.

_“And look who finally decided to answer. My favorite professor.” Natalie sassed back, a laugh coming from her end of the phone. “But yeah, I was just calling to tell you that I got to my parent’s house not too long ago. I know you have this weird habit of worrying about me, so I was calling to keep those worries at bay.”_

The woman’s tone was teasing in nature, but her comment about Joe being one to worry about her was truthful. There was no denying that he didn’t worry about the woman, after all, Joe had placed himself in a handful of situations where he had no real reason to interject himself – the whole situation where he told Landon to stay away from her, the situation where he took her home, and especially the situation where he had taken her to his own home. Even prior to being sexually involved with the woman, he had a soft spot for her. It was possible he had formed this soft spot for her over the course of several semesters or maybe it was as simple as the way she conducted herself – smart, witty, calm, and observant, all these traits he found within his own self.  

“Oh, come on, Natalie, just admit that you wanted to hear my voice.” Joe quipped as he neared the men’s restroom.

_“Damn, you got me there,” Natalie laughed, “I have to admit, it’s kind of weird not hearing your ramblings every other day. I’ve had to listen to those famous Merriweather lectures for most of my college career that I almost miss them.”_

“Missing those F.M.L.s, now are you?” Joe jokingly questioned as he entered the empty bathroom, “maybe that will be your welcome home gift instead - a nice, long, hard, something to get you going again type of lecture. You’d like that wouldn’t you?”

_Once again, there was a small pause followed by a few laughs on Natalie’s side of the phone. “I know something else that is nice, long, hard, and very capable of getting me going again and it isn’t just your mouth.”_

“Listen here, you haven’t even experienced what else I can do with my mouth. That’s still virgin territory to you just like --.”

_“Looks like we both have something in common then,” Natalie interrupted._

“Oh, now is it? Well, I think that maybe, just maybe,” Joe dragged out the phrase ‘just maybe’, “we should change that. You know, explore more of that territory that has yet to be uncovered.”

If Joe were to have any sort of luck, it would be bad luck because all of a sudden, the door opened, forcing the smile that claimed his features to quickly disappear. The man walking through the door was a familiar face he had yet to lay eyes on for quite some time. With both men quickly realizing each other’s faces, they both straightened up.

Cocking his head to the side, a smile of disbelief took hold of Joe as he continued to listen to Natalie. Both men locked eyes and a string of stressed chuckles filled the room, the source of the sound coming from Landon.

        “You know, I thought I smelt a pig l when I first came into this place and would you look at that,” Landon stretched out a hand, a smile on his lips, “here you are.”

Squinting his eyes just the slightest, Joe turned to face the mirror, his eyes coming up to stare at Landon through the reflective surface. Hazel eyes carefully tracked the man as he made his way towards a urinal.

_“Joe?” Natalie questioned._

“I’ll have to call you later on tonight. I have to deal with an old friend of mine right now and it might take a while,” and just like that, with little questioning from Natalie, Joe hung up the phone.

       “Whoa, now, Merriweather, just because I let you fuck my old girlfriend doesn’t mean we’re all buddy-buddy. In fact, I think we’re anything but buddies.” Landon explained as he looked over his shoulder at Joe who was calmly leaning against the sink counter. “You are fucking her, right? Or am I just making assumptions?”

“Wouldn’t be the first time you made an ass out of yourself. Or the second. Or the third.” Joe calmly stated as he crossed his arms over his chest, “tell me, how’d it feel to get tased? Dropping his hands to rest on his duty belt, Joe leaned away from the counter.

        “Come on, Merriweather, you should know better than to try and divert the conversation. Why don’t you answer my question?” Pulling away from the urinal, Landon stood his ground before taking a step forward. “Are you enjoying my sloppy seconds? Are you enjoying banging one of your students while going through your mid-life crisis?”

With a cold and blank stare, similar to the one that Dustin was talking about just a handful of minutes before, Joe slowly stepped towards the man. “There’s a bite to your tongue that we may need to discuss, Landon-boy.”

      “You don’t scare me, old man.”

“I should.” Joe quickly replied as the gap between the two men slowly began to close.

        “Are you threatening me?”

“No, I’m enlightening you.” With one last step, Joe closed the gap, his body mere inches from the man. At this point, the tension within the bathroom could be cut with a knife and it was only a matter of time before someone came barging into the room.

With hazel eyes scanning over Landon, Joe watched as he began to tense up – the man’s jaw began to settle, his breathing began to become more labored, and his nostrils began to flare.

“Men,” Joe whispered, leaning in closer to the man, “who don’t listen have to be brought to heel one day,” the lingering of Joe’s frame just inches away from Landon’s intensified the overall situation, “and today just might be your lucky day...again.”

And just seconds later the bathroom door quickly swung open and although one would expect to hear footsteps following the opening of a door, there were none.

_“Joe?” Dustin asked, his tone filled with confusion. “What’s going on here?”_

Without a single word, Joe slowly stepped away from the man, his eyes never leaving Landon.

           “What’s going on here is that this prick is banging my ex-girlfriend.”

_“Wait, what the **fuck**?” Shaking his head out almost as if someone took a hand to his face, Dustin exchanged glances with the unknown man and the backside of Joe._

Freezing in place, Joe’s eyes slowly closed in response to the not-so-secret-secret that he planned to tell Dustin once the time was right.

         “See, he’s not even trying to deny it because why deny something that’s  ** _fucking_** true.” Taking a confident-laced step forward, Landon pointed at the man whose eyes were now reopening, “this man right fucking here is         fucking one of his students.”

_Almost as if Dustin could read his actions, heavy footsteps echoed throughout the room just seconds before a hand firmly gripped on Joe’s upper arm._

The tunnel vision that was once focused on Landon was interrupted by the sight of Dustin coming to stand between the two men. Lifting his sights to rest on his friend, Joe watched as Dustin gave him a disappointing nod that was followed by a ‘don’t’.

_“Remember how I was talking about that vacant stare that takes hold of you when you’re about to snap?” Dustin questioned, slowly moving the man back, “well, you have it right now and I highly suggest that you leave this bathroom before you do something you’ll end up regretting.”_

As the two men slowly neared the bathroom door, Joe latched onto the sight of Landon who had a cocky-laced smile spreading across his face. Suddenly, with a kneejerk reaction, Joe pushed forward, attempting to break loose from Dustin’s grip and storm his way towards the man, but his attempts failed, and Dustin placed another hand onto his vest, pushing the older man back until they reached the door.

       “They should call you sloppy Joe since you love those sloppy seconds.”

_“Better watch your mouth, son,” Dustin warned as he quickly opened the door, practically pushing Joe out of the room, “because I just saved it.”_

* * *

 

Moments later the two men stormed out of the building, Dustin following closely in the steps of Joe as they made their way towards their cars.

_“Is it true?” Dustin asked, standing on the sidewalk as Joe quickly pulled open his driver side door. “What he said about you, is it true?”_

For a moment, Joe froze in his tracks, his body leaning against the car frame while his head hung low. Here, a long sigh escaped from his lips as he began to ponder the options as to how he should reply to the question. To him, there was no need to continue denying or lying about his relationship with, in Dustin’s words, ‘The Daughter’.

_“It is true, isn’t it?” Stepping down from the sidewalk, Dustin approached the older man. “You little shit,” he began as a smile took hold of his lips, “I fucking knew it all along,” he admitted as he playfully shook a finger at the man, “you **are** fucking that girl.”_

“What he said  ** _is_** true,” Joe began, lifting his head to look up at the man, “and since you knew it all along, I guess there’s no real need to explain anything,” he added as he settled down into the driver seat of his car.

_“Oh shit, hell no, now you **have** to tell me about this,” Dustin quickly came to the exterior of the opened door, his eyes now peering down at the man who was gazing at his phone that was ringing yet again, “you can’t keep me hanging, Merriweather, I need to know this shit now.”_

Waving his phone in the air, Joe smiled, “can’t talk about it right now, the wife is calling,” he teased, the angry demeanor he once had was now replaced with one of neutrality, “but come over this weekend and we’ll talk a bit.”

_“But isn’t Claire going to be there?” Dustin asked, confusion lacing his tone._

Answering the phone, Joe brought it up to his ear, “of course my lovely wife will be home this weekend, maybe you can ask her to prepare a meal for that bar-b-que you have planned at the end of the month.”

 


	22. Chapter 22

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Joe begins to think about the situation he is in and in doing this, he begins to realize his feelings towards Natalie.

**POV:**  Joe  
 **Characters:**  Joe Merriweather,  _Dustin Ayers (italics), Claire (indented italics)_  
 **Quote:** _“Tell me, Joe, how did this all start?”_

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_“Wait, you’re telling me that **this**  mutt,” large hands gently gripped the black and tan fur of Duke’s cheeks, “was  **too** mean and unable to complete the training to become a certified K-9?”_

“I  ** _am_** telling you that,” Joe confirmed as he made his way to the dining room table that was riddled with rays of sunlight, “I guess when the department got him and assigned him to a handler, the two of them underwent a few weeks of training before Duke was deemed incompetent or whatever.” Watching as the man stood up from his kneeling position, hazel eyes tracked Dustin until he settled down in a chair just opposite from him. “Trainers said he was A-Okay when it comes to verbal commands and obedience, but when it came to the whole chasing down the dummy-boy and attacking him, well, let’s just say he wasn’t  ** _that_** good at obeying orders.”

_“Damn dog seems more like a lap dog than an attack dog,” Dustin whispered, his eyes following Duke as he made his way under the glass table only to settle down before Joe’s feet. “How’d you end up with him, though?_

Gaining the attention of his furry companion, Joe slapped his thigh which resulted in Duke scattering to his paws and placing his upper body onto the lap of his master. “Seventy-five percent lap dog and twenty-five percent attack dog,” Joe joked, running his fingers along Duke’s neck, “dog can either attack you with licks and kisses or with these pearly whites,” lifting Duke’s jowls, he revealed the sharp canines of his companion. “Anyways,” Joe returned to stroking the dog’s neck, ”since he wasn’t qualified to be a working dog and since he had experience on how to bite people, if no one was willing to take him home, the department was going to euthanize him since he’s technically a danger to people, but as you can see, my little buddy found himself a good home.” Just as Dustin had done moments before, Joe’s own hands came up to grab the cheeks of Duke, gently squishing the dog’s face together, “plus, how could I ever pass up on this adorable little face?”

_“You’re a sucker for adorable little faces, aren’t you?” Dustin questioned, his head tilting just the slightest as a sly grin fell on his lips._

Suddenly, the atmosphere of the room began to transition from one of lightheartedness to one of curiosity – it was almost as if the two men were partaking in the early steps of an interrogation. Joe knew that Dustin was an expert at smoothly transitioning from one conversation to another by linking them by the smallest of threads – it was a deadly trait that made Dustin a cunning interviewer and investigator.

By now, both men knew, without a doubt, what was to come next. After all, the main reason as to why Dustin was even at Joe’s house was to learn both Joe and Claire’s affairs.

Turning his attention away from Duke and back onto Dustin, Joe gently dropped his hands from Duke’s fur, pushing the dog away before clasping his hands over his own stomach.  

Remaining quiet for a moment longer, Joe squinted his eyes just the slightest as he settled his jaw – his mind now running rampant with thoughts and potential answers while a close-lipped grin made an appearance.

_“Claire, Duke, me, and now your student slash girlfriend slash whatever-the-fuck you want to call her.” Bringing a hand to his face, Dustin looked away as he thought back to the conversation he had with Joe in that shopping mall parking lot, “or wait, she can’t be your girlfriend because you’re not romantically involved with her, but at the same time, you are involved since the two of you are doing the nasty,” Dustin recalled, his voice holding a joking tone, “but that’s for the time being, right? Things might change with ‘the daughter’, right?”_

With his lungs slowly filling with air, Joe tilted his head back, his eyes closing as a hand came up to run along his stubbled face. “You,” he began before slowly exhaling, “are  ** _such_** a fucking asshole right now.”

 _“Just like you said, Joseph, ‘the world needs assholes otherwise where else would the shit come out from?’ But you know what? I think_ **you** _,” Dustin leaned forward just the slightest, his finger coming up to point at the older man who was now looking at the garage door, “are the bigger asshole for not informing me about **this**_.”  _Accompanying his friend, Dustin also gazed over to the garage door before turning his attention back to Joe, “shit, dude, you left me hanging at that one house party where you took the girl home – making me think you’re fucking the girl’s **mom** instead of fucking the  **girl.** ” Relaxing back into the chair, Dustin shook his head, “what’s her name by the way?”_

Listening to the sound of the exterior garage door opening only to close seconds later, Joe knew that Claire was home, and this was when things were bound to get very dangerous. At any second, Claire could walk through a door and stumble upon the contents of their conversation or either Joe or Dustin could say the wrong thing at the wrong time.

“I would be  ** _glad,_** _”_ his tone was laced with sarcasm, “to talk about Natalie with you, but as you can see we are in a shitty situation right now because even though I knew Claire was going to be home, I didn’t know she would be home  _ **this**  _early.” Waiting for the sound of rustling keys, Joe continued to wait for the sight of his wife.

_“Shitty situation or not, you do know that if she figures out that we’re talking about her cheating on you and you cheating on her, she will kill the both of us and hide us[behind the walls.](https://jeffreyfuckingdeanmorgan.tumblr.com/post/162058080357/behind-the-walls-in-progress-master-list#_=_)”_

“Well, Dustin, you know what they say,” he began, his sights settling on Dustin, “you’re more likely to be murdered by someone you know and by either your own gun or kitchen knife,” the whole comment was a joke, but in a general sense, the threat was real.

With that, the sound of the door unlocking and opening just seconds later made both men stare at the woman who was now entering the house – a welcoming smile gracing Joe’s face while Dustin continued to deadpan.

_“I can always tell when Dustin is here because his big ass black super max truck sticks out like a sore thumb in our driveway.” Claire jested as she made her way into the dining room, tossing her keys onto the counter while doing so._

_“Good evening to you too, Claire,” Dustin said with a pressed smile._

With his left hand coming up to support his head, Joe exchanged glances with both Claire and Dustin, a grin now replacing his smile as she walked towards him. “What happened with you and Amy?” He questioned, gazing up at her as she placed a hand on the back of his chair.

_“Turns out that little Chris has some soccer game or something to go to in a few hours and Amy has to carpool some of the kids.” With her hand coming up to rest on Joe’s shoulder, she leaned down, kissing his stubbly face, her nose pressing against the frame of his glasses. “Something you and I might be doing in a few years if we’re lucky,” she whispered, placing another kiss on his cheek before pulling away._

As Claire walked into the kitchen, a wide-eyed Joe peered over to Dustin who shared the same expression. Obviously, the looming cloud of pregnancy was something to be aware of considering that Joe was failing to pull out and there was no contraceptive on either of their parts, but with Claire’s age and the lack of fertility treatment, the risk of pregnancy was low.

_“Anyways, what have you two been doing this whole time? Does **he**  plan on staying for dinner because I can start cooking now.” Leaning onto a counter, Claire stared at Joe before eyeing Dustin for a second._

“We were  ** _just_**  about to head outside and clean our guns,” Joe said with ease as he took to his feet, “as for Dustin,” he shifted to stare at the man who gave him a quick, almost non-existent nod, “he has to go do some stuff afterwards, but we shouldn’t be too long and if are, you can personally kick him out yourself.”

With a ‘it would be my pleasure’ coming from Claire as she turned and walked towards the fridge, Joe began making his way towards the master bedroom, both Duke and Dustin trailing on his heels

_“You should know better than to try and keep the two of us in the same room without supervision,” Dustin whispered as he glanced over his shoulder and down the hallway, “we’ve never really been the best of friends and we’ve always just tolerated each other because we have **you** in common. It’s like she hates me for some unknown reason and all I can do is reciprocate that feeling.” Glancing at the pictures on the wall, Dustin noticed that the wedding picture that was once laying facedown on the floor with shattered glass surrounding it was now placed into a frame and reclaiming its spot on the wall._

“She doesn’t necessarily  ** _hate_** you, but she isn’t the biggest fan of you.” Stepping into the bedroom, Joe made a beeline for the nightstand. “Ever since you have her that two-hundred-dollar ticket, her liking of you has gone down.”

_A hum came from the man as he scanned over the neatly made bed. “This where you’re holding your teacher-student conferences now?” Dustin teased, concluding that there was no need to speak about the dislike Claire had for him. Speaking of dislike, his joke must have not settled nicely with Joe since the man was now glaring at him, gun in one hand while the other closed the nightstand drawer._

“She also doesn’t like how you joke around so much,” Joe deadpanned as he walked to stand beside Dustin, his gaze resting on the bed as well. “As for your comment,” he began, his free hand coming up to rest on his hip, “we’ve never even fucked in a bed,” a moment of silence was shared between the men as their gazes shifted to rest onto each other, a confused look claiming his partners face, “not yet at least,” Joe finished as a smile that revealed the true depths of his dimples took hold of his features.

* * *

Moments later, the two men and their furry companion settled down into the patio chairs, their seating strategically thought out with Joe facing the house and Dustin sitting to his left. With the way they sat, both men were able to monitor the whereabouts of Claire.  

“So,” Joe said lowly, his eyes locking onto the gun in his hand, “how’d you know?”

_Pulling his own gun out from its holster, Dustin placed it onto the glass table, “Well, to be honest, I didn’t know at first, but after I brought you lunch that one afternoon, I saw the way you two interacted and how flushed the both of you were. I felt like there was something more going on than just a regular teacher-student relationship. After thinking about what had happened that night when you took her home, the office situation, and the conversation you and I had at the bar and in that shopping mall parking lot, I started thinking that someone had their hand stuck in the cookie jar. Honestly, if I had never brought you lunch that afternoon and if that whole little scuffle in the bathroom with that kid never happened, I wouldn’t have really assumed anything - I wouldn’t have any confirmation.” Watching as the man rested the magazine onto the table, Dustin was troubled as to why it was completely empty but decided not to pursue the issue. “Tell me, Joe, how did this all start?”_

Dipping his head, hazel eyes latched onto the ground as Joe thought about the situation. Was it that obvious that he was having relations with one of his students or was it only obvious to a man who knew him best? If Joe had never spoken about the relationship he had with an unnamed woman, would Dustin have ever connected the dots and if he did would he have continued to assume that he was having sex with a woman his own age? Would they even be having this conversation if it wasn’t for assumptions and the comments Landon had made just days prior?

“I really don’t even know when it all started,” he admitted, lifting his head, and leaning into his chair, “well, I obviously know when the whole sex thing started, but the forming of feelings or whatever,” he shook his head, his brows furrowing as well, “I don’t know when that started or if it even  ** _has_** started. I, myself, don’t even know if its actual feelings I feel towards her or if it’s just this lustful nature I’ve latched on to because of what has transpired over the last few months. One thing I do know is that I’ve always had this,” looking around, he searched for the right word or something close to it, “this soft spot when it comes to her. I don’t know if it’s because she’s been a student of mine for quite some time or if it’s because something deep down within my own consciousness was attracting me towards her – whether that attraction be sexual or not.” Placing the empty gun down onto the table, Joe turned to look at the pool, his eyes watching as sunlight danced across the water, “you know how I like to say that ‘I’m three steps ahead of you in thirty different directions’? Well, that makes me think: was this planned on my part? Did I subconsciously take certain steps to get to where I am now? Did these steps become more deliberate and thought out when Claire and I separated? Like how did I land myself in a position where I’m attracted and building this relationship with a woman who is half my age? I obviously know how I  ** _physically_** got here, but  ** _mentally and emotionally_**? I don’t fucking know, Dustin, I guess I’m just stuck between a rock and a hard place.”

Sucked into his memories, Joe thought back to when he and Natalie shared their first kiss. In thinking of this, Joe realized that  ** _he_**  was the one to initiate the overall situation – a situation that was once the discussion of why he had involved himself with Landon. Here, he remembered the firmness in Natalie’s voice and her monologue of how he had no right to do what he did and how he shouldn’t be meddling in the affairs of his students – something that was somewhat humorous to think about now. He remembered the anger and curiosity that radiated from her. He remembered the half-hearted apology he had given her for crossing the line when it came to using her as a volunteer for a pat-down. He remembered the closeness they shared when she was pressed up against the door. He remembered the tension, the lingering stares, the innocent grins and smiles, the unthought out kiss that was followed up by a firm grip on his shirt while  ** _she_** deepened the kiss, and he remembered the disappointment that encased her eyes just seconds later when  ** _he_** was the one to pull away. Not only did he remember this, but he remembered the wave of shock, shame, regret, and unprofessionalism that washed over him just seconds later.

“ ** _I_**  made the first move,” Joe muttered, his eyes still glossed over as he continued to remain within the depths of his mind, “but after I made the first move and backed off,  ** _she_** made the second move  ** _and_** the third move.  ** _She_** wanted me even  ** _more_** than I wanted her because after I stepped away and apologized a thousand times over, she pressed forward and with every step she took, I took one back until  ** _I_**  was the one who was trapped.” Snapping his attention away from the pool and back onto Dustin, the look in his remained eyes empty yet somehow still filled with emotion. “It’s like she almost  ** _wanted_** it to happen even if she refused to admit it to herself.” Biting down on his lip, Joe fell quiet again as he returned to his thoughts. “In that very moment, we took control of each other’s weaknesses because we wanted each other  ** _so_** much; so much that we nearly ended up having sex. We were actually just seconds away from doing it, but a knock on the door interrupted us, but that didn’t matter because just days later we ended up fucking in the back of my police truck and if I’m being honest with myself, it was one of the most  ** _exhilarating_** things of my life. It was fucking,” he shook his head before encasing his face with his hands, “I don’t even fucking know how to explain it,” he dropped his hands and leaned into the couch, “it was just fucking great and this doesn’t even include fucking her in my office or having her feel me up under my desk.” Dropping his sights, Joe shook his head almost as if he was embarrassed by his train of speech. “This girl is just fucking exciting and great and…and…I don’t even know how to express it.”

Throughout his reply, it was almost as if he was on autopilot when talking. Everything he said was raw, unfiltered, truthful, and sincere. It was as if he  ** _needed_**  to talk to someone who wouldn’t judge him for what he had done. Even if he didn’t reveal everything and it was obvious that there wasn’t enough time to get into the details of every single thing, it was better than not revealing anything at all.

Finally tearing his gaze away from the ground, Joe peered into the house, his sights latching onto the woman who was in the kitchen. “I know what I did was wrong, and I  ** _knew_** it when I was doing it, but I just couldn’t say no to her and I couldn’t say no to me and even to this very day, I  _ **still**_ can’t say ‘no _’._ It’s like I have no control of myself in this situation or the situation itself and you know how I enjoy having control of things.”

_“And do you still think that what you are doing is wrong? Do you think that this whole situation is something that should have never happened? Are you ashamed and do you regret the situation as whole?_

Continuing to watch Claire wander throughout the kitchen, Joe thought about the question. “I don’t have a straightforward answer for that.” He mumbled, Claire vanishing from his sights as she wandered down one of the halls, “I know what I did and what I’m doing is wrong because technically I’m still married, but what I’m doing is no worse than what Claire had done to me. As for the second question, I don’t know whether or not it would or wouldn’t happen. I mean if Claire would had never cheated on me for a year and a half, I wouldn’t have done what I did. I would have contained myself and continued with a seemingly innocent relationship, but as you can see, that’s not the case now.” When it came to the last question, Joe returned to his silent nature as he thought over the question.

After a few moments, he finally answered, “As of right now, I am  ** _not_** ashamed of what I’m doing, and I  ** _do not_** regret the situation. How can I regret a situation when I am thoroughly enjoying it and when I’m actively taking steps to continue partaking in it?” Almost as if a weight was lifted off his shoulders, Joe let out a long breath before grabbing his gun. “It might be shitty to say, but it is what it is,” he added, the quote being something Natalie had once told him.

_“God, Joe,” Dustin sighed as his hand trailed up his face and through his hair, “I don’t know if you love the girl or if you’re just lusting over her – it’s almost as if it’s a mix of both. But I do have some advice for you: you **need**  to get your head out of your ass and deal with the situation. You’re still married and I know your marriage is on the downward spiral, but if you want to continue this little thing with Natalie, then you need to end your marriage and end it for good. We both know you don’t want to be in it anymore and we both know Claire doesn’t want to be in it either, so just officially end it.”_

Thankfully neither of the men spoke after this last comment because Claire approached the sliding glass door, pulling the handle back and peeking her head out.

_“Dinners just about done, so you two should_ _wrap up whatever you guys are talking about and come on inside,” Claire informed the duo. Lingering in the threshold of the house, she exchanged glances with her husband and his friend. “Oh, yeah, I have to ask you two about something when you come inside.” She added before returning into the house._

With both men sharing a stare and furrowing their brows, they slowly took to their feet.

_“You still have to tell me about her,” Dustin whispered, leaning down to grab his gun, “but that’s for another time I suppose.”_

“There’s not much to tell,” Joe replied, following in Dustin’s actions and grabbing his own gun and magazine from the table, “and if there is, I guess we can just save that for a time when we don’t have to be all hush-hush.”

Walking towards the door, Joe loaded the empty magazine into the unloaded gun. It was just a few feet later that he was opening the door and stepping into his house.

Placing the gun on the dining room table, Joe took a seat at a chair, watching as Dustin walked up and leaned against the bar.

_“What’s that question you were going to ask, Claire?” Dustin asked, glancing over at Joe, and flashing him a set of crazy eyes._

_“Joe mentioned on the phone a few days ago that you were planning on having a little bar-b-que or whatever and being the man he is, he volunteered me to bring a little dish.” The tone in Claire’s voice was anything but excited, instead, it was extremely monotone. “And I know that since Cortney divorced you and is happily living her life, she isn’t around anymore to cook and care for you boys.”_

And just like that, the tension in the air began to rise as Claire mentioned Dustin’s ex-wife.

Tearing his glasses from his face, Joe covered his eyes, knowing all to well that Dustin would more than likely take a jab at Claire.

_“Yeah?” Dustin questioned, pushing himself away from the bar and taking a few steps back towards the front door. “Well, Claire, since I know you hate my guts and aren’t the biggest fan of me, I would hate for you to take this personal.” Turning on his heels, Dustin locked eyes with Joe for a second and for a moment he felt bad for the man since he would be the one to deal with the aftermath of his upcoming comment. “I’m sure you can come up with something to bring, afterall, you’ve been around the block a couple of times and I’m sure you’ve got a very interesting pallete.” Standing before the door, he gripped the handle, his eyes now coming up to rest on a very annoyed and angered Claire, “oh yeah, on last thing,” opening the door in order for a quick getaway, Dustin stood in the thresehold, “A_ _t least Cortney divorced me instead of cheating on me.” The jab may have been uncalled for, but it felt right to say._

 


	23. Chapter 23

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Natalie returns home and while having a conversation with her brother, a secret is revealed that shows just how much they are alike.

**POV:** Natalie

 **Characters:**  Natalie Jankoski,  _Bryan Jankoski _(Italics),__ _Michael Jankoski (Indented Italics),_ Sarah Jankoski (Indented Normal)

 **Author’s Note** : You all wanted to know insight into Natalie, her feelings, and her family, so I present you with a chapter that covers all of the above.  

 **Quote:** “ _You are **not**  bringing home someone that I can very well be friends with,”  _

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To Natalie, the transition from the so-called ‘college ward’ back to her childhood home served almost as a culture shock. Considering that, for most of the year, she resided in a neighborhood where houses seemed to be built just feet apart and a place where privacy seemed to be a foreign word, the peaceful and wooded surroundings of a place where she truly called ‘home’ was something to be cherished.

Everything here seemed to be completely different than her college living. The air was filled with scents of flowers, pine, and cleanliness. The landscape was no longer packed with houses or filled with frantic passersby, instead, it was quiet and welcoming. Most importantly, the people surrounding her were no longer roommates or strangers, but people she truly cherished and loved.

Leaning against the railing of the front porch, Natalie reveled in the peaceful surroundings that she would soon be forced to leave. In doing this, instead of listening to her brother rant and rave about his own crazy college experiences, she focused her attention on the trees that were swaying with the breeze and the birds who were singing their melodies atop the branches.

_“Back when I was getting my undergrad before law school, I did some really stupid fucking shit. Like shit mom and dad, to this day would **still** be disappointed in.” The tone in Bryan’s voice was almost boastful as he stood up from his rocking chair, “I mean, there’s stuff that even **I’m** kind of like, ‘why the fuck would I do that and how out of my mind was I at the time?’” _

As Bryan’s presence rested on the railing beside her and curiosity now taking hold of her, Natalie couldn’t help but divert her attention away from the solace of the land.

“What kind of stuff haven’t you told me?” She questioned, slowly straightening up from the railing.

_“Stuff that even **you** would be shocked by.” A laugh fell from Bryan’s lips as he lowered his head, “stuff, that like,” there was a pause as he rattled his head for the right words, but alas, nothing came to mind, resulting in an unfinished sentence._

With Natalie now leaning against a pillar with her arms crossed over her chest, she looked over her brother and his seemingly embarrassed state. There he was, leaning over the railing with his fingers entwined and an open-mouthed, half-smile plastered across his lips.

“You know,” she began as she made her way towards one of the rockers, “it’s kind of hard to believe that you’ve done crazier things than flipping a cop car, tripping out on acid and waking up in some old ladies yard, and my personal favorite, which is you getting so piss drunk that you bought a pizza and brought it to a fire station in hopes of having them warm it up for you.” With the atmosphere seeming to lighten up just the slightest, the two joined in in a fit of laughter as she settled down into a chair, “if you’ve got something that can beat those shit shows then I **_need_** to hear this story.”

_“Quid pro quo, little sister, quid pro quo.” Bryan warned, turning to finally face her, “an equally shocking story of mine,” with every word, he sauntered his way towards her until he was standing before her “for an equally shocking story of yours,” stretching out his hand, he finished, “deal?”_

_As her legs became tense, forcing the rocker to come to a standstill, Natalie settled her sights on her brother’s hand and for a moment, she considered the proposition. What could she possibly tell her brother that would measure up and be just as shocking as this untold story of his? Would she have to settle for a story of a drunken outing or would she test the boundaries and give loose details of her experience with her married professor? Nevertheless, the only way to find out was to agree to this compromise._

_“Deal,” she answered without another moment of thought, “ **but** ”, she paused, her hand coming to rest just inches from his, “you have to tell your story first.”_

_Grins took hold of both Bryan and his sister as the exchange was solidified with a handshake, “you know a good deal when you see one, don’t you?” Bryan joked, giving the handshake one more firm shake before leaning away and heading back towards his pillar. “Okay, well, buckle down and listen to this shit because it’s a story to remember.” Peering past the dirty-blonde and into the house, his eyes landed on his wife who was sitting on the couch, their daughter in hands._

Staring at the man who now stood there quietly, Natalie leaned forward, her forearms coming to rest on her knees as her hands clasped together. Looking over Bryan, it was almost strange to see her brother in the state that he was in. Normally, he was a talkative, confident, and humorous man, but in this very moment, he was cautious and nervous while he summoned up the courage to begin the story.

_“I don’t know about you, but I feel like when you’re in college, you usually have a professor or two that you’ll never really forget because you either really enjoyed them, you really looked up to them, or they impacted you in some way.” Bryan’s eyes shifted to settle back onto his sister whose brows were once again pulled together._

Despite her confused expression, with every comment, her interest in the topic at hand began to increase. It wasn’t solely because of the assumption she began to form in response to her brother’s comments, but because the words that were being spoken turned out to be more personal than she had anticipated and for a moment, her mind formed an image of the man who matched these checkpoints.

It had been two, maybe three weeks since her last face-to-face interaction with the man and if she was to be honest with herself, it was almost _strange –_ not strange in the sense of it being weird, but strange in the sense of it being _different._

Over the course of the last few years, she had grown almost accustomed to being in and around the man’s presence and with the recent turn of events and the dramatic shift in their relationship, she would be lying if she didn’t want to be around him more. But perhaps this ‘want’ stemmed from pure curiosity. Instead of being aware of how he handled himself in a constricted and professional setting - whether that be in the classroom or in his patrol car -, she wanted to see how he acted in a completely normal and pressure-free setting. And with that, it was strange knowing that at any moment in time, the two of them held the power to call each other and arrange places to see each other.

Flowing from one interaction to the next, it had been a handful of days since her last chat with the man and throughout the duration of that call, Joe was adamant that Natalie understand that she couldn’t just call him whenever she felt like it. And this was something that she completely understood since there was a fear of receiving a ‘hello’ from his wife instead of Joe.

Of course, she was hesitant, fearful, and almost guilty of the overall situation she landed herself in, but at the same time, she was interested and content with their relationship standing. On one hand, she was completely aware that she was actively engaging in an affair with a man who was nearly twice her age, a man whose purpose was to teach her things within a professional realm instead of a personal one, and a man whose intentions were never truly revealed. On the other hand, even though their relationship lingered on the adulterous side, was it truly an affair? Yes, Joe was a married man, but ever since finding out that the divorce was at a standstill and that his wife was making another round of appearances in his life, nothing sexual took place between Joe and Natalie.

Nevertheless, no matter what way one was to look at it and no matter what type of excuse or loophole one could come up with, both Joe and Natalie were wrong for what they were doing and what they intended to do.  

Zoning back into the conversation, Natalie absentmindedly began to rock the chair once more.

_“…I don’t know if you remember Barbara Yawn, but she worked with dad for a bit before getting a tenure at my university.” Brown eyes locked onto his parents as they wandered within the house._

“Wait, hold on,” yet again, the rocker came to a stop as she leaned forward, “are you talking about the lady who singlehandedly fucked up that med mal case and turned out the be a cokehead? Super short lady, brown hair, and glasses?”

_Laughs flowed from Bryan’s lips as he shook his head, “yes, that’s her,” he answered, placing Natalie back within his sights, “and even though you’re going to judge me, try not to judge me **too** hard on what I’m about to tell you and whatever you do, don’t tell mom or dad.”_

“I swear to god, Bryan, if you tell me what I think you’re going to tell me, I **_will_** hang this over your head for the rest of your life.” Although it was a threat, it was only meant in a teasing nature. “Did you have sex with her?” She questioned in a hushed tone as she eagerly awaited his answer.

_Shrugging, Bryan did his best to conceal a smile, but all efforts failed. “I plead the fifth,” he muttered._

“Bryan,” Natalie scolded, “she’s like fucking sixty. Hell, she’s older than dad and for God’s sake, her name is ‘Barbara’. That’s how you **_know_** she’s ancient.” With a hand coming up to spread across her forehead, Natalie continued to just shake her head in a disappointing fashion, “, what were you thinking?”

_“You want to know what I was thinking?” Bryan said almost challenging, “I was thinking that even though her last name was ‘Yawn’, she wasn’t much of a yawn in bed. That’s what I was thinking.”_

With her mouth falling to the floor, Natalie just sat there with her mouth agape. “Dude,” she managed to say, “too much information.”

_“Hey, now, you asked a question and I answered it.” Swapping his sights from his sister who had a look of disgust on her face and back to the whereabouts of his parents, he continued. “She was like fifty-two at the time and we only did the nasty throughout my last semester before law school. Look, she gave me a good letter of recommendation and we had great sex. It was all a fair trade with no strings or feelings attached. But hey, don’t be giving me shit for having great sex with an older woman, I never gave you shit or made fun of you for being with Low Life Landon. Besides, who hasn’t wanted to have sex with a teacher of theirs?”_

“Okay, okay,” she said almost defensively as she shook her head, “you got me there, you **_are_** right about that, but come on, it’s Barbara.”

_“And come on, you were getting with Landon. A kid who we all knew has no future. If anything, I think I’m the one who came out on top - literally.”_

And with that, the conversation was cut short as the sound of a door pierced their ears and a barrage of dogs filed out from inside the house. The cause of the interruption was due to their parents making their way onto the porch.

_“And what exactly are you two kiddos talking about?” Michael questioned as he took a seat down in a rocker that was adjacent to his daughter._

Taking the lead, Natalie was the one to answer her father, “Bryan was just berating me on how Landon was such a bad choice,” sharing a quick glance with her brother, Natalie squinted her eyes, “but he **totally** forgot about all the bad choices he happened to get himself into.”

_Watching as his children exchanged steely gazes, Michael glanced over at his wife who was now leaning against the railing, a displeased look on her face. “Well, Nat,” he began pulling open a newspaper, “your brother isn’t wrong. We **all** knew that kid was nothing but trouble. We  **all** told you this from the beginning and you decided to just disregard our advice. I know, I know, we **all** know you’re a grown adult, but we raised you and all we want is the best for you.” Placing the paper on his lap, he stared at his daughter who was staring right back at him. With his hand coming up to rest on top of hers, he squeezed hers once before pulling away, “you’re my daughter and no man will  **ever**  be good enough for you. I don’t care what he does, I don’t care what his reputation is, I don’t care how old or mature he is, and I don’t care how smart or in love he is with you – he will never be good enough.”_

               “Oh, stop it, Michael,” Sarah scolded, breaking the moment between the two, “you keep it up and she’ll never bring someone home,” crossing her arms over her chest, she continued, “look, honey, that Landon fellow was always so distant and immature when he was around. I understand that you guys only dated a short while and that we only met him a handful of times, but we always welcomed him with open arms.” Turning to look into the front yard, Sarah leaned forward against the railing, her eyes tracking two large dogs who were chasing after each other, “that man-child was dumber than a sack of rocks and stoned out of his mind most of the time,” she muttered.

_“I think what mom and dad are trying to say is we all tolerated Landon because you were with him. We never liked him, we never enjoyed his presence, and we always knew you two weren’t going to last. We could all sense you liked him but not enough to keep him around for longer than necessary.” Watching as his sister’s expression completely changed, Bryan knew it was time to switch the conversation from one of berating to one of jokes. “And I think what dad was trying to say is that no matter how good a man may seem, they will never be good enough to get his full approval, so, my advice is that maybe you should look into a sugar daddy or an older dude. You know, with a sugar daddy you can just get free shit and with an older man – if he isn’t already your sugar daddy -, you can bring him around and dad and he can both sit in these rockers and talk about old people shit like politics and the weather or whatever the fuck.”_

_“Watch yourself, Bryan. Remember who’s your boss.” Michael warned, playfully swatting at his son with the newspaper._

“And remember who’s  ** _your_** boss, honey,” Sarah chimed in, looking over her shoulder, a smirk on her face.

With both children forming wide eyes as a result of their mother’s quick comeback, it was only a second later before they both teasingly ‘ohhed’ in their father’s direction.

“Looks like she got you there, dad.” Natalie jested before turning to look back up to her brother, “but Bryan, I just might take your advice to heart and bring home an older man.” Raising her brow, she couldn’t help but watch her father from the corner of her vision.

_“You are **not** bringing home someone that I can very well be friends with,” Michael warned as he flipped open the newspaper. “You’re not going to be bringing home some man who is my age or your mother's age. That’s a little  **too** extreme. We know you like them older, but still, that’s  **too** old.”_

There was no doubt she enjoyed the small thrill of teasing her father since a sly grin began to form on her lips, “then what age isn’t **_too_** extreme?” She questioned.

_“Well, you’re basically almost twenty-five, your brother is a dirty thirty, your mother is a foxy fifty, and I’m just an old fifty-five-year-old man.” Lowering the paper, he took a moment to contemplate an age gap, “I would say,” biting down on his lower lip, he moved his head from side-to-side, “the oldest could be,” sighing, he shrugged, “I don’t even know why you’re trying to negotiate this thing with me,” he admitted, finally coming to his senses about the topic, “but whatever you do, just don’t go past your brothers age.”_

“And what **_if_** I decided to date someone older than Bryan?” Natalie challenged.

               _“Why would you need or want to?” Michael questioned, leaning in her direction._

              “Okay, you two, give it a break,” Sarah interjected, leaning away from the railing, and turning on her heels to face her husband, “if she finds someone she likes or loves and he or she is older, then there’s not much we can do about it, Michael. Natalie knows what she wants and what she wants, she will more than likely get.” Setting her sights on her daughter, she continued, “You do what you want to do, but be smart about it. Don’t half-ass anything and if you do, make sure you think things through and make sure you don’t get into any trouble or make yourself out to be a fool.” Staring up at her son, she finished, “and don’t listen to your brother because he’s being stupid right now.”

_“Hey, now,” Bryan raised his hands up defensively, “I’m just saying that I knew some girls in college who had sugar daddies and they were **set.** I also knew some people who did the dirty with their professors and everything seemed to turn out perfectly fine.” Lowering his hands, a smile formed on Bryan’s lips as he continued, “all jokes aside, but it looks like the best thing to do is to stay single, little sis.” Bryan jested as he began to make his way towards the front door, “make it easier on us – I don’t have to do that stupid thing where the brother tries to be super protective over his sister and put her boyfriend in his place.” _

Scoffing, Natalie took to her feet, “I don’t think you’ll have to worry about being protective over me,” although they wouldn’t know, her comment was referencing the protective nature Joe had for her.

 _With his sister falling into step with him, he slowly opened the door, allowing her to enter first, “you still owe me a story,” he whispered._

* * *

 

After a few minutes of gathering together in the living room and awing over the sight of her niece, Natalie eventually managed to make her way up the stairs and into her room.

With a locked door and her phone in hand, the contemplation on if she wanted to call **_him_** began to run rampant through her mind and for what seemed like the first time in a long time, she seemed to actually think over the situation and the possible outcomes.

After slowly making her way to her bed and sitting on the edge of it, she glanced down to her phone.


End file.
